War Games: A wikiDeeks FanFic Relay
by wikiDeeks
Summary: Deeks and the team go undercover during military exercises to uncover the people behind the theft of high grade military weapons and drones. There is tension between Deeks and Callen that plays out during the dangerous operation. This was a collaborative effort by five writers who added their own unique creativity to a different chapter of the story as it was passed along.
1. Chapter 1

******This is a wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, Imahistorian, and Phillydi. Hope you enjoy it...**

**War Games**

Chapter 1

___by Sweet Lu_

...

"Really? Again?"

"Deeks, it's been a long time since you were in the desert," Kensi reminded him.

"But, why me?" He asked, looking from one to the other of his teammates, whining ever so slightly as he searched for a way out he knew he probably wouldn't find.

"Think about it Deeks," Sam said with a small smile. "You've gone in as a photographer before and you look the part of someone who doesn't like to follow the rules. The type of person our suspect will relate to."

Deeks' mind skirted over the last time he'd used the alias, Jimmy Satterlee. He was a good time guy who liked to sing and dance to the juke box in seedy bars, happy to down a beer with the best of them, but the shadow of that character was long and he looked quickly at Kensi and gently touched the back of her hand, needing to feel her warmth. Sam squeezed his shoulder, bringing him back to the present and he looked up to see a veil of skepticism in Callen's eyes, a look he was becoming used to and one he was beginning to resent. Callen had been watching him closely ever since Granger's last visit and he found it exceedingly irritating, tiring of the evil eye he got every time Callen looked at him. He was becoming convinced that whatever his team leader and Granger had discussed had something to do with him and the thought unnerved him.

"Mr. Deeks. Wardrobe. Now." Hetty said as she brushed past him.

He broke eye contact with Callen and willingly followed his diminutive boss, a smile playing lightly across his face as he left the doubtful scowl of the senior agent behind and toyed with a way to get under Hetty's skin.

"Did you play with dolls as a child, Hetty?" He asked as she began rifling through the racks of clothes. "You probably dressed them up and put them outside in dangerous terrain, yeah? Probably used a magnifying glass so the sun could burn their hair off, maybe threw them down storm drains, watching to see where they came out and then docking their pay because they ruined their outfits."

"You're in rather rare form this morning, Mr. Deeks," she said absently as she held up a tan, button down shirt with multiple pockets on the chest and even on the sleeves. "Now, put this on with this khaki vest over it."

He did as he was told, wondering just what was supposed to go in all the various sized, zippered pockets that covered the front and back of the vest.

"Do you have any old film canisters I can stuff in some of these little pockets?" He laughed as he came out to model his outfit. "I know you remember slide film."

"Now, you're just being cheeky," she said, a stern look of disapproval clouding her features, before a slight smile replaced it. "I remember a lot of things, Mr. Deeks. I once bought an incredibly tiny camera in East Germany to use on a mission because I could easily hide it in my bra."

"To much information, Hetty," Deeks said as his cheeks flamed and he dramatically shivered. "Way too much."

"Come now, Mr. Deeks. Surely you can take it as well as dish it out," she commented mildly before turning serious. "Don't take this assignment lightly, Mr. Deeks. Corporal Pollard is our only connection to the recent thefts at Pendleton. That was sophisticated weaponry that went missing, and we need to find out who's really behind it and whom they're selling to. So, Mr. Deeks, you keep being a wiseass. It's the perfect persona for your alias. Pollard will relate to your wildness. He doesn't do very well with authority, so any acts of defiance you can throw in when Mr. Callen orders you around out there will catch his attention. Be the bad boy, Mr. Deeks. I'm sure you'll be good at it."

"You referring to Max Gentry, Hetty?" He asked quietly.

"Not that dark," she answered. "More of a cheeky bastard that gets under everyone's skin, especially your boss's, which will be Mr. Callen. He will establish his alias, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Jaeger when he gets to the assembly point for the field exercises."

"I'll be there under the auspices of SecNav," Callen interjected, his solid form reflected in the mirror. "My job is to report back on field operations and your job is to provide me with the photographs to go with that report. You're a new hire. A civilian that came highly recommended, but who rubs me the wrong way."

"So nothing new then," Deeks said soberly, watching for Callen's response.

"Is there something you want to say to me, Deeks?" Callen asked, his voice tightly controlled.

"Just trying on my new surliness," Deeks said evenly.

"Hey partner," Sam called out. "Our chopper's waiting."

"Who you gonna be, Sam?" Deeks asked, relaxing slightly as Callen turned away.

"Major Samuel Webber. I'll be Callen's adjutant," he said.

"The kiss ass kind?" Deeks cracked.

"No. The kick butt kind," Sam said, pointing a finger at him. "So watch your mouth Jimmy."

"Yessir," Deeks grinned as he saluted.

"You're pushing buttons a little early, aren't you Mr. Deeks?" Hetty questioned as she handed him a worn baseball cap to try on.

He pulled the faded red ball cap down over his eyes, deciding to ignore her question, thankful she didn't push him for an answer, only sending him a pointed look as she headed back to her office.

"You okay?" Kensi asked as she sidled up next to him, intentionally leaning into him as he adjusted his new outfit.

"Why do you ask?" He said too quickly, still irritated by Callen's continued scrutiny.

"Because you're being defensive," she answered. "And because you and Callen seem a little at odds lately."

"That's one way to put it," he said.

"Want to talk about it?" She stepped in front of him and undid one of the buttons on his new shirt, making him smile.

"You have become quite talkative since you've been back, Fern," he said as he looked down at her fingers as they lightly touched his bare chest. "And very touchy, feely."

"I thought you liked touchy, feely," She said very softly with a seductive smile. "I can stop if you'd like."

"Mr. Deeks?" Hetty's voice ended their intimate tête-à-tête and they quickly backed away from each other.

Hetty stood waiting for him, a silver key dangling from her finger and a small inscrutable smile on her face. She said nothing as she waved for him to follow her out the front door of the mission, the door closing behind her before he could reach it.

"She's faster than she looks," Deeks whispered before pushing open the door.

"I'm sure this bike is as well, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said, holding a black helmet under one arm.

His mouth literally dropped open as he walked out to discover the motorcycle she had made him give up not long ago. He stumbled over a few words, but lost them in a wide smile, silencing whatever he was going to say as he ran his hand over the fuel tank and down onto the black seat.

"You kept her," he said softly.

"Thought she might come in handy for a mission at some point," Hetty said, handing him the key. "Fits Jimmy's bad boy image, don't you think?"

"I could kiss you right now, Hetty," he said, his eyes never leaving the motorcycle.

"I don't think you quite have that much nerve, Mr. Deeks," patting his arm gently before turning to go back inside. "Don't forget your backpack. Additional wardrobe is in it as well as the latest camera equipment."

"Don't get too wild on the trip down," Kensi said, laying her hand lightly on his back.

"Still worried about me, partner?" He turned to face her, taking her arms and pulling her to him.

"Just don't want to lose you," she said, running her hand along his cheek and up into his hair.

"When will I see you?"

"You'll be surprised when you do," she laughed.

"Really? Are you going to be one of those tawdry camp followers with a tight, low cut tee shirt and a little skirt that barely covers your ass?" Deeks raised his eyebrows with a growing smile, also preparing himself to be punched and was surprised when he wasn't.

"Is that one of your fantasies, bad boy?" She twisted her loose hair up on top of her head seductively as she toyed once again with the buttons on his shirt.

"It's on the list," Deeks swallowed hard as she pushed against him, his eyes never leaving her pouty lips as she moved against him.

"So, how long is this list?" Her voice was low, almost a purr.

"Getting longer by the minute," he said.

"Maybe I'll let you see my list when this op is over," she whispered as she turned back toward the door to the Mission, her hips swaying as she entered, leaving him wetting his lips in anticipation and then biting his bottom lip in frustration.

He slowly put on his helmet as his mind wandered, shouldering the backpack before swinging his leg over the bike and sitting quietly for a few minutes, smiling softly to himself as he revved the engine and felt the vibration between his legs. Slipping on his dark glasses, he rode the bike out of the courtyard and began to settle into his bad boy alias, searching back through his memories of his wild days running with Ray and a few of the more unsavory characters in his neighborhood. He opened the throttle and pushed the bike faster as he wove his way through traffic toward the freeway, a crooked wiseass grin on his face.

"This is gonna be fun," he yelled into the wind.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed Chapter One of our exclusive FanFic Relay which will post here every Sunday until finished...but if you can't wait for Chapter Two go to wikiDeeks dot com this Thursday for the next chapter by Jericho Steele!**


	2. Chapter 2

******wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, Imahistorian, and Phillydi.**

**War Games**

**Chap****ter 2**

**___by Jericho Steele_**

"Sorry about your bike Mr. Satterlee, but they don't allow civilian P.O.V.'s up at the North Range."

Deeks turned from the view outside his window and glanced over at the young Marine driving the armored hummer. "It's no big deal Corporal, rules are rules." He put a touch of sarcasm into those last three words, hoping that his companion caught it.

Corporal Jessie Pollard nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and sometimes they just suck. That was one sweet ride you left back at the motor pool."

"You sure that she'll be okay? Those gear-heads were staring ... made me nervous."

Pollard eased the hummer into another set of winding curves that took them further into the hills that made up the northern part of Camp Pendleton's training areas. "No worries. Those guys understand about messing with another man's bike. They'd go after your girl before they even breathed on your ride. She'll be safe."

Deeks nodded, knowing that if anything happened to his bike on this assignment, whoever touched her would answer to Hetty, and he shuddered to think what her retribution would entail. "That's good to know Corporal and, please, call me Jimmy."

Pollard glanced over and gave Deeks a quick nod before turning his gaze back to the winding road. "You got it Jimmy ... and I'm Jessie. I get called _Corporal Pollard _by everyone else around here."

"You got it Jessie." Deeks shifted in his seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. "What do they pad these seats with ... rocks?"

Pollard chuckled softly. "Hey, watch yourself. This is a very expensive piece of American Military hardware ... it's sensitive." Deeks turned to see if the young man was actually being serious but when the Marine rolled his eyes, they both ended up laughing at that one.

Deeks was surprised that the young man was nothing like what he was expecting. When Corporal Pollard had met him at the base motor pool, he had appeared as the picture of an outstanding Marine, not one that would cause any problems or get into any type of trouble. The base S.O.P.'s required Deeks to deposit his bike in the impound lot and Corporal Pollard had been assigned as his escort and driver while he was on base. Hetty's brief about a trouble maker who had problems with authority didn't fit with the jovial, squared away Marine driving them further into the southern California mountains. Callen and Sam were already in the area, their helicopter flight taking less than thirty minutes, while Deeks' ride from LA had been just over an hour.

"So Jessie, is this what you do for the Marines, drive very important people around all the time?"

Pollard laughed out loud at that one. "Nooo ... my M.O.S. is 2311 and I've been T.A.D.'d over to M.C.B. for the next few weeks."

Deeks got lost in all the abbreviations and military jargon and Pollard saw it written clearly on the other man's face. "Sorry, that was militarese for I'm an Ammunition Technician, 2311 is my Military Occupational Specialty and my Temporary Additional Duty is to be the driver for the Battalion. I get to pick up officers and staff N.C.O.s who need a ride over to the hospital or out to the ranges. I almost got your boss ... Colonel Ganger ... Jengar ... something like that."

"Jaeger."

"Yeah, that's what I said, but they sent a special vehicle up for them. Apparently they brought their own driver. At least, that was the scuttlebutt going around the motor pool and then you showed up."

Deeks wondered who else was coming on this assignment. Hetty hadn't mentioned anything about Callen's Colonel Jaeger needing a driver. He figured he'd find out who it was soon enough.

"The driving people around sounds like a pretty cool gig. How'd you manage to talk them into that?"

Pollard shook his head and a look of disgust filtered across his chiseled face. "It's not cool at all. They call for me at all hours, usually just after I've fallen asleep ... then they send me out to the middle of nowhere to pick up some officer that doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground. I'm at their beck-and-call 24/7. No free time. Hell, some days I don't even have time to grab something to eat." The resentment was clear in the man's tone and he looked like he had swallowed something that left a really bad taste in his mouth. "And, I didn't talk them into it. I'm being punished."

Deeks tugged at his seat belt that keep retracting each time the vehicle hit a bump in the graveled road. "Punished? Really?"

"Yep ... I had a little run-in with one of the Warrant Officers in my platoon and this is where I ended up."

Deeks continued to draw out more of the Marine's bad boy side. "What'd you do? It couldn't have been that bad."

Pollard let out a sigh. "My buddies and I were out riding around town when someone suggested we climb out onto the hood of the car and do a little impromptu hood-surfing."

Deeks couldn't help but laugh at that. "Really?"

"Really. Everything was great until we heard screeching brakes and some idiot yelling his head off at us."

"Ah ... the Warrant Officer."

Pollard nodded. "Give that man a cigar. He and his wife were coming back from dinner when he saw us."

"What'd he do to the others?"

"Not a damn thing. Said I was the senior man in the car and I should have stopped it."

Deeks began to see the reason for the man's animosity. "Ouch."

"Yeah ... the others got a _stern talking to _and I got thirty days barracks restriction and since they didn't want me sitting around getting into any more trouble they put me on escort and driver duty."

After that, Deeks didn't know what to say and Pollard just looked pissed. Falling back into his cover, the detective went with the common ground that had already been established. "Does that mean you surf for real or do you just ride on cars?"

Pollard's expression faltered for a moment before he smiled broadly. "No. I actually surf but I can't go until I get done with this stupid gig."

"Yeah, the swells were awesome this morning."

"Wow ... a _biker_ and a _surfer_. Didn't think we'd have so much in common, you being a civilian and all. No offense."

Deeks was pleased that parts of his cover were actually part of who he really was. Getting close to Pollard was proving easier than he had first thought. "None taken. We all do what we are meant to do."

"Yeah, but if I'd known everyone with more on their collar than me was always going to make my life miserable, I'd have become a plumber."

"So, you're not a career Marine?"

Pollard almost spit the words out. "Not likely."

"What else would you do?"

Deeks saw a carefully crafted mask slip in place over the young man's face.

"I've some things going on the side, and once they pay off, I won't need the Marines anymore."

The mask told Deeks to tread carefully or there would be no more free information. Pollard was no fool and if he bolted, their only source could disappear. He wanted to turn the conversation back to surfing or even motorcycles but the road ahead opened up into a long valley with a large airfield stretched out before them. Off to the left, several ranks of combat ready Marines waited for the transports to arrive.

Pollard drove the hummer along the graveled road to where several other vehicles were parked. It didn't take long for Deeks to spot Callen and Sam who were standing beside a large black Ford Expedition. They were each dressed in the Marine Corps' digital woodland camouflaged utility uniform and Callen had a pair of binoculars draped around his neck.

"Looks like your Colonel is waiting."

Deeks didn't really have to fake his apprehension at any interaction he would have with the senior field agent who was standing ramrod straight, playing a Marine Colonel perfectly. "Oh great."

Pollard looked over briefly as he maneuvered between the barricades that designated the observation area. "Do I detect some tension?"

"More like deep animosity, and I'm stuck working for him for the foreseeable future."

"Let me guess ... he doesn't like the hair?"

Deeks chuckled at how the Marine was picking up on things that were unsaid. Even though Sam had made amends to him for the comments about "character" and "hair", something was hindering the relationship he had once shared with Callen. There was a shadow that appeared whenever Callen spoke to him and Deeks was wanting to get to the bottom of it before they reached the point of no return and there was damage to their working relationship and maybe even to their friendship.

"Let's just say we've had our disagreements. He tends to take the 'gung-ho' thing to new levels and he forgets I'm not one of his Marines that jump when he yells."

"I know what you mean bro. They tend to be that way sometimes. I wonder ... hold the phone, what do we have here." Pollard brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop.

Deeks caught himself before his head slapped into the front window and looked over to see what the Marine was talking about. He followed the man's gaze until he saw what, or more accurately, who had seized Pollard's attention. She walked around from the driver's side of the Expedition and Deeks would have recognized her from a mile away. His breath caught in his chest and he heard Pollard's do the same as the woman dressed in Marine utilities came to a stop beside the big Marine Major standing a few steps behind Callen.

The Marine camouflage uniform didn't really flatter the female form, it wasn't designed to, but whoever had sewn the top blouse and the cargo pants that Kensi was wearing, had gotten them perfect. The dark pixel pattern set off her dark skin and her hair was tied up into a tight bun just beneath her cover. Deeks felt his chest constrict at the way she seemed made to wear the uniform, like she was born to it and he felt a little pride that his girl could pull off the Marine image without much effort. She was beautiful as much as she was deadly. She couldn't be any more perfect if she tried.

The detective was pulled from his thoughts as Pollard let out a long whistle. "Where did _she_ come from? She must be the new driver. I haven't seen her around anywhere."

Deeks tried to remember that he was undercover, just like Kensi, Sam, and Callen, but the way Pollard was ogling his partner was getting hard to bear. He took a quick breath and focused on being Jimmy Satterlee, a bad boy, a man who treated women as possessions to be used and then cast aside. When he spoke, the words hurt. "Yeah. If they used her for a recruitment video, the Marines would never run out of 'A Few Good Men'".

"Put her in a camouflaged bikini ... show her crawling around on the beach ... "

Deeks opened his door and climbed out of the vehicle, he swallowed his irritability as Pollard's words were drowned out by a squadron of approaching CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters that were swinging down low over the hilltops. Higher up, there was a set of tilt-rotor V-22 Ospreys waiting their turn for clearance to approach the runway.

The detective hurried over to where his teammates were waiting, his boot crunching on the gravel. Just before he reached them, Callen spun quickly and turned a hard glare on him.

"Where the hell have you been?! I need photos of the Air Assault Course training for my report and my photographer takes his sweet-ass time getting here!"

Deeks wanted to think that Callen, as Lt. Colonel Jaeger, was playing his part perfectly, but his next statement seemed a little too close to reality. "You're sloppy Satterlee. You better impress me or this will be the last government contract you ever get."

Kensi had her arms folded behind her back in a modified parade-rest and Deeks couldn't see her hands twist together into gnarled fists as her anger threatened to overspill. Sam remained poised and expressionless but inside he felt the anger that his partner was spewing toward the young cop from LAPD.

Hiding behind his alias like it was a warm blanket, Deeks buried his frustration with Callen under Satterlee's need to buck any person in a position of authority. "Let's make a deal Colonel. I won't tell you how to do your job and you don't tell me how to do mine ... okay?"

Callen felt the heat start at his neck and rise to his ears, maintaining his cover at that very moment took all the energy he could muster. "Just take the pictures, and don't screw them up like the last photographer did."

"The other guy was seventy-two years old and had a lazy eye. Don't fuss at me because you guys go for the lowest bidding contractor all the time."

Kensi lowered her head, hiding her soft smile, even Sam took the detective's snarky comment in stride. Callen had turned away, like this was something he couldn't be bothered with. "Just don't hand me any excuses Satterlee. You know what they're like, and everyone's got one."

"And some people _are _one." Deeks said it loud enough for all of them to hear.

He was standing his ground, even when he knew he was pushing the limits of what Satterlee would do, hoping that the others believed it too. Callen paused and for a moment Kensi feared that the alias was being surpassed by the thing inside Callen that was eating away at his relationship with Deeks. With a sharp shrug, the senior agent moved away from the vehicles and the helicopters were making their final approach.

Deeks watched as Sam sent him a hopefully _fake _death-glare before he fell into step right behind Callen's retreating form. Tugging on the straps of the camera hanging from his neck, the detective turned to find that Pollard had eased up beside Kensi and was standing way too close to his partner.

As he stepped toward them, Deeks caught what Pollard was saying.

" ... well, if you're new to the area, maybe I could give you the Jessie Pollard tour. I'm sure you'd like it."

Kensi rotated her head slowly and gave the young man a quick once over before returning her gaze straight ahead, right at Deeks. "No thanks Marine. Not interested."

"Aw come on, Sergeant ... " He glanced down at the name tag over her left breast, neither Deeks or Kensi appreciated how long he took to read it. "Booker? And what is your first name."

Kensi let out an exasperated sigh, hoping to convey that the corporal was wasting his time. "Sergeant, and that's all you need to know."

Deeks chuckled at her statement. She was projecting the perfect disinterested female, too bad Pollard wasn't catching on. "Really? Come on ... there's no reason we can't be friends."

Kensi didn't miss a beat. "I can give you five good reasons." She held her hand up in front of Pollard's face, her fingers spread. "One … two … three … four … five." As she counted, she curled her fingers in and soon her hand was a tight fist, which she waved within inches of the young Marine's face.

"Geez. Take a chill ... no need to get hostile." Pollard held his hands up in mock surrender and took a few steps backward, out of the reach of Kensi's fists.

Deeks was trying hard not to laugh at the young man's misfortune but the way the man's eyes continued to wander over Kensi's body, he knew it was time to get out of there before he punched him right in the mouth. "Come on Jessie. I need you to drive me over to that hilltop. The Colonel wants some good shots and this angle is all wrong if I want to catch the Marines as they board the aircraft. So, tuck your tongue back into your mouth and let's go."

Pollard huffed in disappointment, but he did begin to walk back toward the hummer. With his eyes fixed somewhere lower than her neck, he tried once more. "Duty calls Sergeant Booker. Maybe we'll bump into each other again."

"I'll have to get my shots first." Her voice was low and cold, hoping that he wouldn't misinterpret anything she was saying. She turned and watched Deeks walk right past her and it took everything she had not to reach out and touch him.

His soft words caught her off-guard. "Sorry about that, he's not housebroken yet."

Whether it was Kensi Blye or Sergeant Booker that laughed, Deeks didn't know or really care. It was still music to his ears. He looked over his shoulder and the brightness of her smile almost made him stumble. Luckily, he made it all the way to the hummer before she called out to him.

"Try not to let that idiot get you into too much trouble Satterlee."

Deeks opened the door but he turned to look back at her before he climbed in. "Thanks, I will ... and it's Jimmy."

Kensi nodded her head and gave him a smile that made Pollard turn absolutely green.

"You're welcome Jimmy ... and it's Kacey."

* * *

Please join us next Sunday for Chapter Three or if you can't wait... go to wikiDeeks dot com on Thursday for the next installment of War Games!


	3. Chapter 3

******wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, Imahistorian, and Phillydi.**

**War Games**

**Chapter 3**

**___by Kadiedid_**

Deeks smiled and winked at Kensi then turned to get back into the Hummer. Pollard's face was a mask of disbelief and it was obvious that he was irritated with him. He needed to do something quickly to get their newfound 'friendship' back on track. Pollard started the vehicle and spun the tires as they headed up the hill.

"Hey man, don't sweat it. She's probably one of those chicks who decided long ago that she would never go out with military guys. I'm sure she was just trying to make you mad. Although, I wouldn't mind spending some ___quality_ time with that one," Deeks said suggestively, trying to smooth things over.

Pollard relaxed a bit and replied, "Yeah, you're probably right. But she does make those baggy fatigues look good. "

They drove for a couple of minutes without talking as Deeks started getting other equipment out of his camera bag and stuffing it in a few of his many pockets.

"I see what you mean about Jaeger," Pollard sneered as they neared the hilltop. "He ranks right up there with some of the morons I have to deal with. Good luck with that guy."

"The joys of freelance photography, man. You go where the jobs are," Deeks replied with a frown.

They reached the top of the hill just as the helicopters were landing. He jumped out of the Hummer and snapped several pictures as if he was worried about missing the perfect shot. Pollard seemed disinterested in the process as he leaned against the back of the vehicle. Deeks pretended to look around for a better spot and moved so that he could keep him in his peripheral vision. He didn't think Pollard was suspicious of him but again, why take chances when you're standing near the edge of a steep cliff?

He could see Kensi standing down below in the same place as before but now she was looking up toward them. He was tempted to wave but decided against it since he was sure it would irritate Pollard even more.

The men were finally loading up the choppers and lifting off one by one as soon as they were filled. Deeks took dozens of photos of the operation and did his best to sell his cover as a photographer who knew what he was doing. He changed lenses and spent the entire half hour changing his location and trying to get interesting shots. Pollard never said a word during the airlift and Deeks tried not to gaze in his direction while he was pretending to be totally focused on his job.

As the choppers cleared the area he looked back down to see Callen impatiently motioning for him to come back down to his location.

"Great. Time to go back down and deal with 'Colonel Prick'," Deeks said as he walked back toward Pollard.

Pollard laughed and replied as he got back in the vehicle, "Well, at least you get to tell him what you think. I just have to take it and say '___Yes Sir!_'"

Deeks frowned as he closed the door and started putting his equipment back in the bag, "I would never make it in the military. I would've been dishonorably discharged after my first week. It's just not in my nature to take crap off of people."

"Mine either but here I am," Pollard mumbled as they started back down the hill.

…..

The choppers were all on their way to the training area, which was several miles out into the desert. The plan was for Kensi to follow the Marine Captain's vehicle to the site with Callen and Sam in tow. As they stood waiting for Deeks and Pollard to come back down the hill, Callen was pacing and acting his part or so Kensi hoped. When the two officers moved away to get into their SUV, Kensi took the opportunity to say what was on her mind.

"I don't know what is bothering you but I wish you would quit taking it out on Deeks," she said quietly to Callen.

"What are you talking about? There's nothing bothering me," he answered with wide eyes.

Sam chimed in, "She's right. You've been really hard on him lately. What's up?"

"There's nothing wrong!" he said emphatically. "I don't…." Callen didn't finish as Pollard drove up with Deeks. He turned toward the Hummer and snapped, "Make sure you keep up with us. I'd hate to find out you got lost in the desert."

The three of them climbed into the vehicle and started the trip to the training site. Callen didn't continue his comment and Kensi decided to leave it alone... for now.

….

"Does that guy think I'm stupid or something?" Pollard asked in an angry tone.

"I think he thinks everyone is stupid except him so don't take it personally Jessie. Besides, I think he was talking to me." Deeks couldn't help but believe that Callen indeed thought he was incompetent.

"So when do you get out?" Deeks asked changing the subject.

"I've got three months and fourteen days then I'm done!" He said emphatically.

"Wow. It sounds like a prison sentence if you ask me. Are you allowed off the base since your… um, incident?"

"Yes but I have to get special permission. So far I've been allowed off once. Every other time I've been denied," he said with obvious menace in his voice.

Deeks knew he wouldn't be able to bond with him any further without some after-hours time. He hoped his next question would motivate Pollard to come up with a plan.

"The reason I asked is that I'm stuck here for a couple of days and was wondering where the best places were to party."

"Around here?" Jessie snorted. "There's not much but if you go a few miles down the road, there's a great place where we like to hang out."

"Do they allow 'non-military, long haired, surfing photographers' like me in there?"

"Sure! Who do you think we hustle when we play pool?" he said with a laugh. "Tell you what, why don't I ask if me and a few of my buddies can leave the base tonight since I have a visitor to host? I'm sure they won't deny it this time and I'll show you how we party in the desert."

Deeks smiled and replied, "Sounds great to me but I'm assuming there won't be any 'hood-surfing' tonight?"

Pollard shook his head and said, "Nah, not on the main roads anyway!"

Deeks laughed and was about to ask another question when Pollard spoke first.

"As a matter of fact, why don't you see if your little Marine hottie would like to join us?" he challenged.

Deeks' mind was spinning fast. There was no way he wanted Kensi there to be hit on by the soldiers but if he didn't accept the thinly veiled challenge, it would totally go against his bad boy image. He made a snap decision and hoped Kensi would forgive him.

"You're on!" he replied but then thought of an alternative plan. "Hypothetically speaking, if she were to turn me down flat, are there plenty of other girls there to pick from?"

Pollard roared with laughter, "Are you hedging your bets on that one?"

"No, not really, but my motto is '___be prepared'_, just like the boy scouts," he said with a smirk.

Pollard continued to smile and replied, "To answer your question, yes there are plenty of others to pick from. That's why we go there, dumbass."

"Awesome!" he replied ignoring the jab. He looked out the window at the drab scenery and thought of the predicament he was in. He only had two options and neither was ideal. If Kensi agreed to go then he would have to treat her like a 'pick up' to solidify his cover. If she chose not to go, he would actually have to try to pick up another girl and put on a good show for the guys. He knew Kensi wouldn't go for that at all and he wasn't too fond of the idea either since tensions from a previous Op had almost ruined their partnership.

…..

After forty-five minutes of riding in the uncomfortable vehicle, they finally arrived at the training site. He jumped out as soon as the Hummer stopped and jogged up to where Kensi was standing. Callen had moved up ahead to talk to the training supervisor and Deeks took the opportunity for Jimmy to talk to Kacey.

"Ummm, Kacey, right?" he asked knowing Pollard was listening. "I was just wondering if you would like to meet me at 'The Club' later tonight?" Jessie had told him that the name was a bit unoriginal but the booze and company made up for it.

Kensi gave him one of her dazzling smiles then looked toward Pollard. "Is he invited also?" she asked with a frown.

Deeks looked over at Jessie and winked, "Yes, he is and he's bringing some of his friends."

Kensi looked back at Deeks and took a step closer. "Yes, I'll meet you there on one condition," she said with a flirtatious smile.

Deeks swallowed hard and looked into her eyes hoping she understood his unspoken apology. "And what condition would that be?" he asked.

"You take me for a ride on that bike I heard about this morning," she said with a wink.

Deeks grinned widely and said just loud enough for Pollard to hear, "I would be more than willing to take you for a ride."

He started to back away toward Pollard then asked, "Eight o'clock?"

"See you there," she said with a wink as she moved to the front of the vehicle with Sam.

Deeks went to stand beside Pollard to wait for Callen's summons.

"You dog!" Jessie whispered.

"We'll see. Who knows, I might find something I like better after I get there," he said as he cringed at the words coming out of his mouth.

"Trust me Dude, you're not going to find anything better than her!"

He grinned and thought to himself, '___You got that right'_.

…..

Deeks continued to take pictures of the training exercise and to make snarky comments about military procedures to Pollard who had plenty of his own to add to the mix. After a short break for lunch in the makeshift mess hall, the trainees were back at it and he had to follow them closely to get the shots 'Colonel Jaeger' had asked him to take. They worked until dusk and then reversed the process back to the original spot where they had started earlier in the day. The choppers were long gone by the time the small motorcade arrived and Deeks was ready for a long hot shower. The desert had never been one of his favorite places and he felt as if he was coated in sand. At least when he was at the beach he could control where the sand ended up.

"When can I see what you have taken so far Satterlee?" Callen asked as soon as he stepped out of the vehicle.

Deeks sighed and replied, "As I mentioned before, when we finish all of this up tomorrow, I will take them back to my photo lab to color correct and then show you the best shots on my laptop. I should have them ready within twenty four hours after we wrap it up."

"Good," Callen said as he pointed at Kensi and started walking to the car. "Get me back to the base immediately," he demanded without another word to Deeks or Pollard.

Deeks looked at Kensi with a knowing smirk and mouthed, "See you at eight," then watched as they drove off in another cloud of dust.

…..

"What was he thinking?" Callen growled when Kensi told him about meeting Deeks at 'The Club'. They had returned to the base and she was reporting in after a brief phone call from Deeks.

"He was doing his job!" Kensi growled back. "Pollard told him to invite me so what was he supposed to do, break character and tell him no?"

When Callen didn't respond, Kensi continued her tirade, "If Sam had done this you wouldn't have thought twice about it!"

"Sam has nothing to do with this," he said angrily as he walked toward the window in his quarters.

"Then what does it have to do with Callen? Because you're certainly not being the professional agent that I know you are. Whatever is eating at you is hindering this mission and I hope you can get past it soon," she spat as she stomped out to go to her own room.

Callen stared out the window but his eyes were focused on nothing as he thought about Kensi's accusations. She was right and deep down he knew it.

Pollard had dropped Deeks off at the motor pool to pick up his bike. After stopping at his motel room to shower, grab a snack and get ready for the evening he was now the first to arrive at the already crowded club. Not long after his entrance he spotted Jessie and several of his buddies walk through the door like they owned the place. Deeks immediately wondered if any of these men were also involved with Pollard's scheme.

"Jimmy!" Pollard shouted above the music. "These are my friends: Chris, Javier and Colton. Guys, this is Jimmy, the photographer."

They all shared greetings and shook hands then Pollard asked, "Where's the girl?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen her yet. She's probably here somewhere," Deeks answered looking around.

"From what Jessie told us about her," Colton commented with a leer, "If she was here everyone would know it."

Before Deeks could respond he looked up just as Kensi walked through the door. She was wearing tight jeans with a black tank top and her hair was down around her shoulders. He was proud of the way all the men turned and stared at her but he was irritated at the same time.

"Damn!" Javier exclaimed then whistled.

"Whoa there fellas," Deeks said with a wide smile. "I already have dibs on that lovely creature for this evening." Before any of them could argue his point he slowly made his way through the crowd to meet her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in close.

"Hey, Kacey," he said loudly as he pulled her closer to him and led them toward the bar. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked. He glanced toward Pollard and his friends and observed them ogling her.

Kensi could feel the tension in his body and decided to let Pollard and his buddies know that she was very unavailable to anyone but Deeks. She stopped right in front of them then turned around and reached her hands around the back of his neck. She planted a searing kiss to his lips that left little to the imagination about her intentions for the evening.

A stunned Deeks just stood there amidst the catcalls and grinned as she answered, "I think I'll take that drink now."

* * *

**Please join us next Sunday for Chapter Four or if you can't wait... go to wikiDeeks dot com on Thursday for the next installment of War Games!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, Imahistorian, and Phillydi.**_

**War Games: **Chapter Four

by Imahistorian  
…

Sometimes alcohol really did make things easier.

Deeks downed the remaining dregs of his Coors Light, swallowing the weak beer and the grimace he felt beginning to form on his lips. It might be terrible, but he could drink a lot of it and appear to be much more drunk than he actually was. And drinking with a group of people had a way of creating camaraderie and trust. It was ultimately hollow trust, but also full of alcohol and loosened inhibitions, but it was trust that could be taken advantage of.

"I got three months and fourteen days and then I'm outta here, man!"

Pollard was getting louder by the minute, allowing his fourth beer to loosen his tongue. And Kensi was taking advantage of his relaxed state, and playing up the appearance of Kacey's as well.

"I can't even imagine being out of the Corps. What're you going to do?" Kensi asked, leaning her elbows forward on the table and cupping her chin in her hands. Deeks watched as she subtly arched her back, letting the shadows and light offer glimpses of her very tempting black tank top and the curves it emphasized.

'Kacey' had started drinking as soon as Deeks brought her the first drink and hadn't stopped. Their group of five men and Kacey had taken up residence at a booth in the corner of the bar, with the guys occasionally leaving and coming back with drinks, or leaving to play a round of pool or try and pick up a woman at the bar.

Deeks had been grateful that Kensi had quickly realized in order to try and get any information from Pollard would require some level of putting him at ease. And nothing did that quite like alcohol and a seemingly friendly woman.

Kensi let Kacey's earlier guise as a hard assed Marine slip a little more with each drink. And it seemed to be working. As her smile became more frequent, the guys at the table let themselves be charmed. There was no mistaking she was there with Jimmy. Her hand on his leg and her body pressed against his side kept that clear.

"I got plans. Big plans," Pollard boasted, lifting his glass to Colton, who saluted back with a grin.

"Like what?" Deeks asked with a laugh. "I doubt the Marine Corps has much of a 401K for a guy still in his twenties."

"We're still working on the details, Colton and me. But when it pays out, we'll be set," Pollard replied with a certain amount of finality, finishing off his beer.  
Deeks kept his grin in place even as he wanted to exhale in frustration. Even tipsy Pollard was still hard to crack. But he grasped onto the one sliver of information Pollard had given them. Whatever he was into, he was in it with his friend Colton. And that was a lead they hadn't had before.

The conversation continued for the next few hours and Deeks watched as the men continued to drink, a lot of the usual guy talk filling the time between rounds. And thankfully the guys were so focused on their drinking that none of them seemed to realize Jimmy had stopped drinking, allowing Deeks to keep up the guise of being drunk while keeping an eye on Pollard.

Kensi's hand, sliding to his side as she turned in the booth to face him, was warm. Her eyes were bright and her face flushed in the perfectly convincing display of a very drunk and incredibly hot woman. Putting on the display of infatuation towards her didn't take much of a stretch.

"Are you going to get me another drink?"

With just the trace of expectation in her voice, Kensi tilted her head to the side, her lips curved up in a sultry smile. Deeks shifted his eyes to the guys around the table, noting how they watched with obvious interest. They hadn't had much luck with the ladies that evening but they sure seemed curious to see how he would do.

With a slow grin, Deeks leaned closer to Kensi, reaching a hand towards her neck. With his palm lightly grazing her neck, Deeks lifted the thick curtain of her hair and bent his head to nuzzle her ear. Kensi's body shook with an unmistakable shiver that made Deeks grin. She couldn't hide that involuntary reaction from him. Though based on how her fingers tightened against his side, she wasn't trying to.

"Your wish is my command," Deeks said smoothly, his voice low against her ear. He slid out of the booth, tossing Kensi a wink before he circled around the other four guys, pointing at them with a sweeping finger. "Keep an eye on my girl while I'm gone."

Deeks turned his back on the booth and headed towards the bar, still trying to keep his ears tuned towards Pollard and his friends. He heard Kensi laugh, that loud guffaw that had occasionally terrified him in the past. Funny how he now found it endearing.

The bar was relatively quiet though the stools were full and most of the pool tables were occupied. Deeks ordered another round of drinks for the table, turning around to face the room while bracing his arms on the curved banister of the bar. Seeing the silent juke box in the corner of the bar, he remembered back to his alias, Jimmy Satterlee, a good time guy who liked to sing along to the jukebox.

Motioning to the waitress to take the round of drinks to the table, Deeks pushed off from the bar and sidled over to the jukebox, hitting the button to flip through the song options. He was a bit lost in the shuffle of songs, looking for something that struck him as just right, when he felt Kensi come up behind him, her arms going around his waist, her thumbs slipping through his belt loops to anchor his back to her front. Her chin came to rest on his shoulder and Deeks felt the exhale of her breath against his cheek as she tried to peek over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

"Don't tell me you got bored without me," Deeks teased, turning so he caught Kensi rolling her eyes.  
"Javier was getting handsy. I thought it would be better to remove myself from the situation rather than create a possibility where Jimmy might have to kick his ass," Kensi replied, all trace of tipsy Kacey gone.

Deeks froze, shifting his eyes to catch Kensi's eyes with his and feeling the flash of anger straighten his back. Kensi's hand slid midway up his chest, her palm flat and restraining.

"Are you serious? What did he do?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Kensi replied smoothly, the pressure of her hand intensifying when he stayed silent. "Seriously, it was nothing. Calm down, cowboy."

Seething a bit internally, but knowing Kensi was right, Deeks nodded and turned back to the song selections. It was the reality of what they sometimes encountered with their jobs. They couldn't always just be Kensi and Deeks, friends and partners and so much more. Sometimes they had to be people like Kacey and Jimmy. People with different histories. People they didn't always want to be.

Finally seeing the right song, Deeks pushed a few quarters in the slot and made his selection quickly so Kensi wouldn't see it. He turned around, resting back against the jukebox, a wide grin on his face. Kensi raised her eyebrows curiously and he could almost see her ears perking up to listen for the first notes of the song.

Deeks waited too, wanting to see the look on her face when she recognized the song. He didn't have to wait long. The strains of the guitar wailed just slightly and mixed with the steady drums, the bass setting a slow beat. Kensi's curious eyes turned soft, her lips melting into a warm smile. And when Deeks led her away from the jukebox to the small opening in the middle of the bar that served as a dance floor, she went willingly into his arms, her body falling against his and moving along seamlessly to the slow turn he took around the floor.

"It's late in the evening," Deeks sang quietly in Kensi's ear, continuing the verse to the end "And then she asks me 'Do I look alright?' And I say 'Yes, you look wonderful tonight.'"

Kensi's soft and pleased laughter in his ear had him smiling and Deeks kept singly lowly, substituting words where he'd forgotten them, but always remembering the refrain of 'Darling, you are wonderful tonight.'

Sneaking a quick glance at Kensi's face, he was surprised to find her head bowed slightly, her eyes fixed on where her hand was on his shoulder, her thumb lightly brushing his collarbone. The look on her face was a mixture of pleasure and concern. Allowing a look back at the table where the guys were, Deeks noted they were still only halfway through the round of drinks he'd sent over.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Kens?" Deeks murmured, keeping them swaying around the dance floor, the expression on his face in line with Jimmy's easygoing attitude, even as he wondered and worried over the emotions flickering over Kensi's face.

"Just trying to get my footing, I guess. We're partners and then we're these people. But how does that work with what we are when we aren't partners? What happens when we go home?" Kensi wondered. A couple months earlier Deeks might have been on high alert at her questioning words. But he recognized them for what they were. They weren't full of doubt about how they could take that leap to being more than partners. They were full of longing to try and figure out how to make the jump. And how to make it work. Kensi wanting to make them work was worth the months of separation and months of missing her, especially if it meant holding her in his arms now.

"I like to think of it as that we have the best of both worlds," Deeks replied. "We get to work together as partners on the job, and then we get to go home and be partners in every other way, too. What could be better than that?"

Deeks spoke honestly, knowing that while it was so simple to him to take that leap, it was a little more complicated for Kensi. She was still finding her way and needed him to be patient. And he was more than willing to be patient for her.

"When you say it like that it's hard to argue with you," Kensi said wryly.

"Then don't argue with me," Deeks replied simply. Kensi's peal of laughter was genuine.

"It's sort of my default setting," Kensi replied, but then she smiled, reaching up to touch his face. "But I'm working on changing that."

Deeks grinned in response and was working up a teasing response when he caught sight of Corporal Pollard getting up from the booth, phone in hand, walking quickly towards the front door of the bar to exit outside. Keeping up the appearance of a slightly drunk sway, Deeks circled Kensi around, noting the rest of the guys stayed at the booth. Colton watched Pollard go with a slight and lingering interest, but then turned back to the guys.

"Pollard just left in a hurry to take a call," Deeks replied.

Kensi nodded, alert and all business while keeping step with him as they danced. "What do you think? Follow him?"

"Yeah, but not out the front. Colton might catch on. If we head towards the back we can get out the door by the kitchen and come around, maybe hear who Pollard is talking to."

Kensi nodded. "Right. So we need a reason for some privacy."

Deeks was about to ask what Kensi had in mind, but then her lips were on his, her fingers cradling his head and sinking into his hair, and he lost a few seconds in the insistent brush of her mouth on his before he realized Kensi was urging him towards the back of the bar. He couldn't stop smiling then, matching Kensi kiss for kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist and pushing her against a nearby wall and into the shadow of the hallway and out of sight. Somewhere behind him he was pretty sure he heard Colton yell an encouraging Go Jimmy! from the booth.

Kensi tore her mouth from his, her breathing giving her away as she took an unsteady gulp of air before stepping away from him and running a hand through her hair. Deeks wanted to smooth a hand down her arm but he resisted, knowing they needed to concentrate on the job at hand.

The darkness of the hallway kept them hidden and Deeks followed Kensi, sensing her move silently down the hallway until they reached the exit, the only sound the latch on the door releasing. Kensi slipped into the night and Deeks followed her, flattening his back against the exterior wall of the bar, taking a quick inventory of where they were.

There were a few vehicles parked in the rear of the restaurant, but by the looks of the picnic table and empty cans and cigarette butts this was where most of the bar employees took their breaks from work. Keeping right at Kensi's heels, Deeks followed her around the edge of the building, ducking down below the few windows and staying in the shadows. As they reached the front of the building Kensi paused, holding up a hand to stop him from bumping into her.

Freezing in place, Deeks listened, finally picking up on what had made Kensi pause. Pollard was on the phone, and talking loudly enough for them to hear.

"I told you, I'll get you the information. I got my guy on the inside. He knows when the shipments are going to happen. And I can get you better stuff than last time."

Kensi glanced back at Deeks, an eyebrow raised. The weapons that had already been stolen were enough to take control of a small country. What else did Pollard have his hands into? And who was he talking to?

"Look, there's no need for threats," Pollard replied, his voice turning high as he tried to contain obvious fear. "I told you I can deliver and I will. Just give me a couple days and I'll get you what you need to know. And then you pay me, you get what you want, and we both leave happy."

When Pollard hung up the phone he sighed heavily, concern creasing his brow. For all his earlier bravado, he was worried about whatever deals he was making. Which made Deeks think it was dangerous and he was in over his head. Pollard's uncertainty was something they could take advantage of, if the situation presented itself. But first they needed to figure out who he was working for.

After a moment to collect himself, Pollard pocketed his phone and went back inside, the muted sounds of people talking and laughing mixed with the clink of glasses fading as the front door closed. Waiting until she was sure they were alone, Kensi turned around to face Deeks, her eyes narrowed and her voice low.

"What do you think he has up his sleeve?" Kensi asked.

Troubled, Deeks shrugged. "I don't know. But we need to see if we can figure out who he's talking to. And I think we should look into his buddy Colton."

Kensi nodded in agreement, then looked back at the bar. Sensing her question, Deeks shook his head. "We're not going to get anything else out of them tonight. Pollard is too tense and Colton saw us leave out the back."

He didn't mention that it would help Jimmy's credibility if he showed up the next day with a few stories to tell about his wild night with Kacey. Even if it might make his skin crawl to tell made up stories about Kensi, if it helped his cover he would do it.

"Let's go meet up with the guys and check in with Eric and see if he can get us anything else to follow," Kensi suggested. Deeks nodded his agreement and led the way over to his motorcycle, enjoying Kensi's eyes widen with surprise. Before she could protest or suggest they take the car her alias drove to the bar, Deeks reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out an extra helmet for her.

Strapping his helmet on and straddling the bike, Deeks started the motorcycle, enjoying the rumble of the engine as it roared and then idled to a purr. Without another word, Kensi got on the back of the motorcycle, cinching the chin strap before she settled behind him, tucking her feet up and reaching around his waist to link her hands together tight and low. Feeling her secure and warm behind him, Deeks took off, allowing a grin on his face at how Kensi's arms tightened around him and she pressed closer to his back.

They drove into the night, the staccato sounds of the motorcycle fading into the darkness.  
….

Join us on www dot wikiDeeks dot com on Tuesday for Chapter Five and Wednesday for Chapter Six if you don't want to wait until next weekend for these two chapters!


	5. Chapter 5

**__****wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, Imahistorian, and Phillydi.**

**War Games: ****Chapter 5**

**___By Phillydi_**

_…_

There was a full moon dangling like a bright neon sign in the empty skies as Deeks headed south along Route 5 to the coast. His internal compass always pointed to the calming waters of the Pacific when he needed time to think or sooth his troubled soul. Kensi didn't question where they were headed; as far as she was concerned she could ride like this forever, her arms wrapped securely around his waist, her hair blowing in the wind. It was times like these when she could forget about the mission and dream of another world, another life with Deeks away from all the worries that had a way of interrupting their personal lives on a daily basis. But the mission always came first; she knew how fortunate they were to steal a sweet moment like this whenever they could.

Deeks steered the bike off the highway and followed a sandy path down to the edge of a small inlet next to the ocean. He let the motor idle for a few seconds before turning the key. The sound of waves crashing in the distance made him long for a wet suit and his favorite longboard. He loved surfing at night with the moon's light shining off the breakers. Kensi could feel his body relax back into hers, and she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly. There was nowhere else she'd rather be. After Afghanistan, she was lucky to be anywhere at all. It was a miracle she was even sitting here next to Deeks, breathing the same California air. Shivering in that cold Afghani cave, she prayed that the gods would grant them one more time like this again. She had been given a second chance and she would take it. It was time to move their relationship forward. She realized the hard way how fragile life could become and she didn't want to wait any longer.

"Deeks? I've been thinking…." Kensi slowly pulled at the words but stopped to gather her thoughts. She stood up and dismounted the bike and turned around to face her partner.

"Deeks…" Kensi began again but stopped when she eyed him smiling up at her unabashedly. "What?"

"You look so beautiful with the moon lighting your hair from behind like that," Deeks said sweetly. "It takes my breath away. Wow, did I just say that out loud?" Deeks grinned, surprised by his candidness.

"Deeks!" she laughed softly and turned to hide her embarrassment. "I need to talk to you and you're not making this easy!" she cried out. Kensi knew she only had one chance to get it right.

A loud buzzing disrupted the stillness of their private interlude, and Kensi moaned, lifted her hip and pulled out the phone from her back pocket. She looked down at the screen and frowned.

"I better take this. It's Callen."

Deeks abruptly threw his long leg over the seat of the bike and wandered over to the metal railing, away from Kensi. He was shaking his head and kicking at the pebbles along the path. For just once he would like to have a quiet moment with Kensi. Just once. He could hear her giving one-word answers to their team leader before ending the call in a huff.

"Let me guess," Deeks spoke first as he looked out over the water. "He's pissed off about something new I did. What is it this time? I'm not working fast enough for him? We haven't apprehended the suspects yet? I'm parting my hair on the wrong side? What!?" he cried out and pounded his fist on top of the railing.

"Apparently, Eric has been trying to call us when we were in the bar," she kicked at the sand around her feet. "Callen thinks we've been ___screwing around_. His words not mine. And apparently we're not paying enough attention to the mission."

"Is he crazy!?" Deeks bellowed; his outburst pierced the silence around them.

"I tried to tell him he was wrong, but I couldn't get a word in edgewise," she murmured. "He's been so unreasonable lately… actually ever since I returned from Afghanistan." Her eyebrows knitted together as she seriously weighed her last statement.

A steely silence hung between them. The mission to rescue Kensi had been the one factor that they hadn't considered. Callen's attitude towards Deeks had definitely turned hostile upon their return from Afghanistan but Deeks didn't think too much about it. He was used to being the team's punching bag. His unconventional methods and beliefs made him the brunt of their jokes but he usually took it in all in stride. Like the big brothers he never had, Callen and Sam could be a pain in the ass at times but he never took it personally until now.

"You're right. He's been riding me pretty hard since we got back. I obviously did something wrong over there that Callen's not willing to overlook.

"What could it possibly be?" Kensi disagreed. "The mission was a success, thanks to you…or I wouldn't be here right now!"

Deeks shook his head in bewilderment. If they were ever going to work together as a team again, they were going to have to get to the bottom of Callen's disapproval of Deeks.

"Come on, we better get back," Kensi said. "He wants us at the base tomorrow morning for a briefing at 0900."

Deeks turned to look once more over the turning waters. The wind had kicked up a notch, the white tips swirling on top of the surf spraying heavy droplets at their feet. It seemed the ocean wasn't too pleased with him tonight either. He was happy to remove himself from its presence. No doubt he would have enough aggravation to deal with in the morning.

The smell of burnt coffee filled the halls of the old administration building in Camp Pendleton. Callen tugged at his khaki shirt collar, still not use to the stiffness of the prescribed service uniform he was wearing. He wasn't sure where to position himself as he paced back and forth in the pristine conference room waiting for Deeks and Kensi to arrive. Sam began to tap his fingers nervously on top of a long wooden desk mainly annoyed with his partner's temperament or lack thereof. He noticed Callen had been wound tighter than a drum these past few weeks and except for Hetty, Sam could read the man better than anyone else. He knew when Callen had an itch he couldn't scratch.

"G, will you relax?" Sam pleaded. "Kensi and Deeks will be here, it's not even time yet."

Callen grunted in response.

"And I'd suggest you wait to hear what happened last night before jumping all over them," Sam reminded his partner.

Callen didn't respond. The lines on his face were cut deeper than usual reflecting the tenseness he felt inside. The team leader was definitely angry with his junior agents but it was the intel they received last night that filled Callen with even more trepidation. Officials discovered part of the stolen weaponry the night before in an old warehouse just outside of San Diego. Although much of the inventory was still missing it was the other items they found that had law enforcement officials in a panic. Hidden next to the military weapons, in a dark corner of the warehouse were enough ingredients to make a homemade bomb that would rival Oklahoma City and level a city block three times over. It put a whole new spin on the motive behind the theft, turning it into a possible homegrown terrorist attack instead. Their mission had just ratcheted up a notch, and they had little time to spare to prevent a catastrophe of this magnitude.

The door opened slowly and Kensi slipped inside without a sound. She held her soft green cap in one hand and tugged at the crewneck sweater of her uniform with the other. The tension in the room was palpable and not even a smile from Sam lightened her arrival.

"Where's your partner?" Callen growled.

"He'll be here, he had to wait for Pollard to pick him up at the motel," Kensi was annoyed that Callen's disposition hadn't lightened one iota after last night's call. He was still hankering for a fight. Deeks better be wearing his sparring gloves, she prayed, because this was going to get ugly.

"Where were you two, after you left the bar last night?" Callen continued his interrogation. Kensi wasn't use to being grilled like one of their boathouse suspects and took a deep breath before she spoke.

"He dropped me off at my room and told me he was going to call Eric back…"

"What were you and Deeks thinking?" Callen yelled, cutting her off. Kensi began to stammer, but she didn't have time to answer his questions as the conference room door swung open and Deeks sauntered in holding a cup of coffee.

"Jimmy Satterlee, photographer extraordinaire, reporting for duty, SIR!" Deeks held up his coffee in salute. Sam suppressed a grin by quickly brushing his hand over his mouth.

"Good of you to show up, Deeks," Callen's words were harsh with a hint of sarcasm but Deeks wasn't ready to take the bait. He refused to be intimidated by Callen's behavior.

"It's not even 0900 yet. Lighten up, Colonel!" He slid his camera case across the tabletop and pulled out one of the swivel chairs next to Sam. If Callen was itching for a fight, Deeks would give him one without Hetty acting as referee. He knew his casual indifference would eventually take Callen over the edge.

"I don't know what kind of op you think we're running Deeks, but Kensi had no business being there with you last night. You were supposed to be conducting your own sting on Pollard and his gang…alone!"

"Hold on, Callen!" Kensi cried. "I already told you earlier why I had to be there…"

Deeks held his hand out and cut her off. He rose from the table and stood face to face with Callen. His next words were slow but commanding.

"If you don't trust me or the decisions I make undercover, then you can send me packing back to the LAPD." Deeks' resolve didn't waiver. "You know as well as I do, Kensi is more than capable of handling herself out there." Deeks took a quick breath before continuing. "What I really want to know Callen, is what___your_ problem is? You've been riding my ass ever since we returned from Afghanistan. If you don't want me as a member of this team, just say the word!" Deeks couldn't resist moving closer into Callen's space.

"Shut up, Deeks. You're not going anywhere," Sam snapped and positioned himself squarely between the two men.

"I don't think this is the time or place for this conversation, do you?" Sam addressed Callen, trying to prevent a confrontation that both men would regret later. "We have to turn our attention to the mission and you two can resolve whatever issues you have later," Sam kept his voice calm but firm. "This situation is critical and we need a plan people!"

Deeks backed away first, careful not to make eye contact with Kensi. He didn't want her to feel responsible for his outburst. He walked slowly to the far corner of the room and leaned up against the back wall. His heart was beating erratically and he was angry that he let his emotions replace any rational thoughts he may have possessed before he entered the room.

"All right then, so what's the plan?" Callen pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. Kensi stepped forward to stand next to Callen and Sam.

"We already know having listened in on Pollard's phone call that's he's trying to make another weapons deal," Kensi recounted the conversation they heard outside the bar. "Looks like they don't have enough fire power for whatever it is they're planning on domestic or foreign soil."

"Why don't I let it slip that I had another argument with Jaeger because he was pushing me to finish the job sooner than planned?" Deeks looked up to gauge Callen's response.

"You can tell Pollard it probably has to do with a new cache of high grade weapons coming to Pendleton that you overheard Jaeger talking about yesterday," Kensi added.

"Right, then I'll complain about how I've had enough of this shitty job but can't quit since I'm up to my eyeballs in debt and need the money."

Sam nodded in agreement. "If you work it right, he may decide to bring you in on the deal and use you as an informant. It might just work."

"Why should he trust you, Deeks?" Callen demanded.

"Despite your limited opinion of me, Callen, I'm a damn good undercover agent. But, hey! If you have a better plan, I'm all ears," Deeks challenged his opponent, imitating his stance. Neither one was willing to back down.

Callen looked Deeks straight in the eyes and didn't blink. He knew the Detective's plan had merit. Besides, his disapproval had nothing to do with Deeks' abilities or undercover skills. His objections went deeper.

"Just make sure you can pull this plan off. I don't want you jeopardizing the mission again, Deeks!" Callen opened the door and stormed out.

"What the…?" Deeks watched Callen leave, shaking his head. "Seriously? What is his problem?" He held open his hands and turned to look at Sam.

"Hang in there Deeks," Sam sighed. "There's usually a method to his madness, but I'll be damned if I know what it is this time," Sam shook his head. "Good luck with Pollard. Come on, Kens." Sam said and left the room.

Kensi lingered behind.

"I'm sorry, Deeks. I feel this all has something to do with me," Kensi said and reached out for his hand. "If it makes you feel any better, I have a very high opinion of you." Kensi tipped her head and gave Deeks a dazzling smile. "You do many things quite well." Kensi winked.

"I do, huh?" Deeks threw his head back and laughed as he stuffed his hands in his back pockets. "Maybe you can tell that to Callen?"

"Well, maybe not ___that _thing..." Kensi giggled and walked out leaving Deeks alone in the room.

Deeks smiled at Kensi's innuendo and picked up his camera case to leave. The grin slowly fell from his face as a strange feeling gripped the inside of his stomach. Callen's accusations were unsettling. Everyone on the team knew he would never jeopardize the mission, including Callen. Deeks rarely had feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty when it came to his performance as a cop but Callen was freaking him out. He decided it was time for G Callen and Marty Deeks to have a little talk.

…

…

To be continued…..

Join us tomorrow for Chapter Six of War Games!


	6. Chapter 6

**__****wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, Imahistorian, and Phillydi.**

**War Games: Chapter 6**

**___By Kadiedid_**

_…_

Deeks took another moment to push down his frustration with Callen and get his Satterlee persona ready for the day. He topped off his coffee from the pot in the corner of the conference room and made his way outside.

To his surprise, Pollard was already waiting for him in the parking lot. He'd dropped Deeks off earlier and told him he would be back after checking in with his CO. As far as Pollard was concerned, Jimmy had spent a wild night with Kacey and was still hung over. He said he wanted details and Deeks was dreading the conversation.

Before he made it to Pollard's humvee, Callen yelled, "Satterlee!"

Deeks closed his eyes and cringed so that Pollard could see his frustration. He opened his eyes and slowly turned to face Callen. Kensi and Sam were standing next to the Colonel's vehicle without expressions on their faces.

"Is it asking too much to expect you to show up sober?" Jaeger shouted.

Deeks smiled and held up his coffee cup. He started to make a snarky comment but Callen cut him off and continued his tirade.

"You show up late, obviously hung over and expect me to be fine with it but I want you to know that I'm not! You're lazy, disrespectful and a slacker and it shows. I don't know how on earth you got this job but I'll make sure it's the last one you do for the Navy!"

Deeks knew Callen was putting on a show for Pollard but his comments and attitude made him feel raw and exposed. He stood up straight and pasted on his best, crooked smirk then replied, "I got this job because I'm a damn good photographer. Now if you don't mind, we should get going. We're wasting your precious time."

He turned and walked back toward Pollard, his grin fading with each step. Callen stomped to his vehicle and got in. Sam carefully shut the door then he and Kensi both climbed in and drove out of the lot.

Jimmy slammed the door and sat there seething as Jessie started the vehicle and put it in gear.

"I'm sorry man," Pollard said as he followed the Colonel. "Unfortunately, I'm used to the abuse from the Jaeger's of this world. I wish I could've smarted off to my CO the way you just did."

"Yeah, well I can't say what I really want because I need this job. I'm up to my eyeballs in debt and I should probably keep my mouth shut until it's over."

Deeks stared straight ahead with a huge frown on his face. They sat in silence for a couple of miles then he added, "It's no wonder this country is in the shape it's in with men like Jaeger training people to be just like him. I overheard him barking at another officer about some sort of high-grade weapons arriving here in a couple of days and he was even condescending toward a fellow officer and his men. He told him that he wasn't sure they could be trusted to handle it properly and that he'd be taking delivery of the shipment. He thinks he's better than everyone else and I hate people like that! I really wish I could think of a way to get back at him when I'm finished with this job."

Pollard was quiet for a moment then replied, "Maybe you can." He continued to look forward as he kept up with the dust trail from the Colonel's vehicle as it turned off on a dirt road.

"What do you mean?" Deeks asked as he turned toward Pollard.

He hesitated for a moment then said in a low voice, "I'll tell you but you can never repeat any of what I'm about to say!"

"Scout's honor," Deeks replied as he held up two fingers.

Pollard paused as if he was weighing the pros and cons of telling Satterlee about his mission but soon he started to open up. "I'm a member of a group that is tired of the direction our country is headed. It's a group of current and former military men who want to see changes made."

Deeks just stared at him, his heart racing as he realized that this was about more than just stealing and selling weapons. "What kind of changes?" he prodded.

"Let's just say, that you'll hear all about it soon enough."

"Is this one of those militia outfits I hear about all the time? I've always thought it would be really cool to be in one of those!"

"No, man. This is much more sophisticated than those hillbilly groups that hide out in the mountains. We have smart, intelligent men in this group that want to get the country back to where it should be."

Deeks knew he was pushing it but he needed to get more information from him. "That's really awesome! Can I go to one of your meetings?"

Pollard looked panicked and Deeks thought he may have gone too far.

"I don't think the man in charge would be very happy with me if I brought in someone that hadn't been checked out."

Deeks looked disappointed and replied coolly, "I get it. But if you change your mind, I have no problems with them checking me out. I mean, if you're just having meetings what's the big deal? If you haven't done anything wrong, I don't see why..." He stopped suddenly and looked over at Pollard's expression and decided Jimmy would keep pushing. "You guys have already done something illegal, haven't you?" he said excitedly. "Come on man, you gotta tell me. I love the idea that people like Jaeger are getting what's coming to them!"

Pollard sighed and said quietly, "Did you hear about those weapons that were stolen a couple of weeks ago?"

Deeks feigned surprise and whistled, "That was you guys?" He sat and pretended to think a minute then he blurted out, "What if I could get you the specifics about the high-grade weapons that Jaeger was talking about? You think your man in charge would be interested in that?"

Pollard looked at Jimmy and frowned. "How could you possibly find out anything? You're not in the military and Jaeger obviously hates your guts!"

Deeks grinned widely and stated simply, "Kacey."

He looked over at Jimmy with a skeptical frown. "What makes you think she will tell you anything?" Pollard asked warily.

"Trust me when I say I can get her to do anything for me," he said with a smile as he inwardly cringed.

"Okay, spill it!" Pollard replied with a lecherous grin on his face. "And this had better be good!"

Deeks smiled and pushed Kensi from his mind then proceeded to make up stories about Kacey and Jimmy's wild night. He concentrated on what his alias Jimmy would have done with some nameless girl he'd picked up and began his torrid tale.

It had been a really long day and Deeks was anxious to let the team know what he'd found out. He had hoped to talk to one of them during the day but he was always with Pollard and too far away to even give Kensi subtle eye signals. They were many miles into the desert and he'd been snapping pictures of everything from soldiers tramping through the rough terrain to an iguana sunning himself on a dusty rock. He hoped no one ever saw the finished product because he was pretty sure the pictures weren't worth printing.

As they were about to get back into the vehicles Callen shouted to Deeks, "Satterlee, I expect you to be on time and sober at o-eight-hundred tomorrow." When Deeks didn't immediately reply, he added louder, "Did you hear what I said?"

Deeks slowly turned to Callen and did his best imitation of a crisp military salute then turned and jumped into the humvee with Pollard without saying a word.

Pollard snorted, but quickly tried to keep a serious face since Callen was glaring at them both. He backed the vehicle up and waited for the Colonel and his crew to go ahead of them.

"That was great!" Pollard said when they were back on the road. "You should have seen his face turn red after you turned your back to him."

Deeks wasn't smiling and didn't reply.

Jessie noticed the frown on Jimmy's face and said, "Cheer up man, he's not worth it. And besides, after I talk to our group leader, I'm sure he'll be interested in meeting with you. If he decides to swipe the weapons it'll make Jaeger look bad."

Deeks perked up and asked, "Are you sure he'll want to meet with me?"

"I'll make contact as soon as I get back, then call you when I know something for sure."

Deeks smiled and replied, "I like the idea of getting back at Jaeger through those weapons. This could work out great!"

Pollard dropped him back off at his hotel and Deeks waited until he was gone to grab his cell phone to call Kensi.

She answered after the first ring and said, "Couldn't wait to see me again Jimmy?"

Deeks laughed and answered, "No, I can't wait, but we're clear. Pollard's gone." He recapped the conversation he'd had with Pollard and asked what she thought their next step should be.

"Nell and Eric are checking out Colton but haven't found anything suspicious yet. I think our best bet is to wait for Jessie to call. Then we can get you a GPS tracker and follow you to the meet if he's able to get one lined up."

"I agree. I don't want to take an earwig with me. These guys are usually super paranoid and I don't want to wind up as a buzzard snack somewhere in the middle of the desert."

"That's not funny Deeks," she said quietly.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He quickly changed the subject. "You started to ask me a question last night at the beach when we were interrupted."

"Yes I did." She hesitated slightly and suddenly asked, "Why don't I come over to your room so we can talk? I can bring some burgers and…"

Before she could finish, Deeks cut her off, "I don't think that's a good idea. We don't know what's gonna happen when Pollard talks to the man in charge and I may have to leave as soon as he calls."

After his description of their imaginary night together, the last thing he wanted was for her to be around if Pollard or any of his buddies showed up.

"If you're supposed to be sweet talking the weapons information from me, how's that supposed to happen if we're not together?"

He paused then sighed, "Kens, I'm just worried about these guys and I don't want you anywhere near them."

"I can take care of myself and I don't appreciate the implication that I'm some sort of helpless female who faints at the first sign of trouble," she said angrily.

"I never said you couldn't take care of yourself!" he countered. "I just have a bad feeling about this and I can't concentrate if I'm worried about what's happening with you."

She sighed loudly. "Deeks, you're going to have to get used it if we're to continue to work together. You can't shut me out every time we have a case. It's not an option."

He sat silently as he thought about their complicated situation and if they would ever be able to find a reasonable solution. Unfortunately she took his silence to mean that he disagreed with her.

"I can see that this is going to be a problem," she said testily. "Good night Deeks."

He suddenly heard the beep informing him that the connection had been terminated and sighed in frustration. He needed time to think and thought it best to call her back after he'd had a shower and was in a better mood. She was right, though. He should have let her come over. It would be totally expected and they would have no problem selling it if Pollard showed up. He couldn't keep trying to shield her from doing her job even though he wished he could. Having made the decision to call her back and ask her to come over when he was finished, he made his way to the shower.

As Deeks was drying off he heard knocking at the door. Thinking it was probably Kensi he wrapped the towel around his waist and went to the door. The peephole had been painted over so he took his chances and opened the door.

"Pollard, what are you doing here?" he asked, surprised to see him and Colton.

Pollard looked nervous as he pushed past him into his room with Colton close behind. "I talked to the group leader and he wants to see you… tonight."

"Wow. That was quick. Just let me put on some clothes and I'll be ready to go."

Deeks went back to the bathroom to dress while trying to figure out what to do. He wrongly assumed Pollard would have called to let him know about the meeting, which would've given him time to come up with a plan but now he was scrambling. The group leader hadn't taken time to check him out properly and that was a bad sign. He'd been certain he wouldn't get an answer until later tonight or maybe even tomorrow.

Thankfully, there was a GPS chip in his cell phone so hopefully they could track him that way. He would have to find a way to send Kensi a signal before he left.

He towel dried his hair and quickly threw on clean clothes. As he came out of the bathroom he saw Colton trying to get into his phone. "Hey man, give me that," he said irritated.

"Why do you have it password protected?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because, I keep my banking information on it and I don't want some idiot to steal what little I have in my account," he countered quickly as he held out his hand.

"Sorry Jimmy," Jessie said apologetically. "The boss says to leave the phone here and to bring you to him right away."

Deeks pushed down the panic and tried to play it off as no big deal. He shrugged, "As long as you know where you're going, I'm good without my phone. Although, you did ruin my plans for another fantastic evening with Kacey."

Pollard glanced toward the door and asked, "Is she coming here?"

Deeks quickly replied, "No, we're going to meet later but haven't made arrangements yet. Maybe we'll make it back early enough so I won't have to cancel."

"I doubt it. We have a long way to go. Come on," Jessie said as he hurried Deeks out the door.

They drove in relative silence for over an hour. Deeks sat alone in the backseat of an old pick-up truck and tried to engage them both in conversation but the responses were clipped and very short. He couldn't help but feel that something was terribly wrong and made the decision to start asking questions.

"Ok, guys. You're freaking me out here. What's wrong? What's going on that I don't know about?"

Pollard glanced over at Colton then looked back at the road. "Everything's fine. Just sit tight."

He sat quietly for a few more minutes then said, "You know what? Never mind. I've decided I don't want to meet your group leader. Just turn around and take me back to my room. I'd much rather spend the night with Kacey than with guys I can't trust."

Pollard slammed his hand on the steering wheel and yelled, "Jimmy, we can't take you back. When I contacted the boss, he got really angry because I talked about this without his permission. He's checking you out right now along with Kacey, and I'm sure everything will be fine but if we don't show up with you in tow, all of us will be in serious trouble."

Deeks sat back and closed his eyes. This could turn out really good or really, really bad. At least they didn't have Kensi. He was sure their backstopping would hold up under more than just a cursory look and they must want more information about the weapons. However, his anxiety grew when Pollard pulled the truck onto the shoulder of the road.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked as he readied himself for a confrontation.

"Look, man," Pollard said apologetically. "We're about fifteen miles out but he told us to stop here and put this on you." He held up a black cloth and handed it to Colton who got out of the car and opened Deeks door.

"No way!" Deeks shouted. "I'm done. I'm not doing this!" he argued loudly.

Pollard tried to calm him down. "Jimmy, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you. Just please put it on," he pleaded. "If you don't, we're right back where we started and in a lot of trouble. Come on, just put it on. We won't tie your hands until just before we get to the meeting place."

"Tie my hands! Are you nuts?" he yelled.

"Please Jimmy," Pollard said in a panic. "If we're not there in exactly twenty two minutes, the deal is off and I don't want to think about what will happen to all of us!"

Deeks looked at them both then sighed loudly. "Fine, but you owe me Pollard! I had no idea this was going to be such a big deal or I never would have mentioned it!"

Colton quickly pulled the hood over Deeks head then jumped back in the passenger seat. They drove the last few miles fairly quickly, stopping only once so they could zip tie Deeks hands in front of him.

As the truck rolled to a stop on a dirt road deep in the desert, Deeks could feel his heart racing. It was bad enough to be out here with no backup but without his hands and eyes, he was feeling extremely vulnerable. The last time he felt like this, it didn't end well.

He heard the doors of the cab opening and felt the lift of the vehicle as Jessie and Colton got out of the truck. He heard loud voices but couldn't make out what was being said then suddenly there was silence. He sat in the truck concentrating on every sound when suddenly the back door of the truck was opened and he was roughly yanked out of his seat.

No one spoke as he was half dragged across rocky ground. He tripped several times but managed to keep from falling. He guessed he had walked about 30 yards when suddenly he was yanked to a stop.

He kept his head down hoping they would leave the hood on so he couldn't see their faces. That might mean everything would be okay. His hopes were dashed a moment later when the hood was pulled off his head.

Standing in front of him was a small group of four men wearing camo glaring back at him. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light from a lantern, he realized that Jessie and Colton were both lying face down on the ground just behind the men. He couldn't tell if they were just unconscious or dead.

As he was about to ask who was in charge he was suddenly hit from behind. His knees buckled as he fell forward. His last thought before darkness descended was of Kensi and how much he regretted their last angry words to each other.

…

To be continued...

Thanks for all your great reviews! All the writers appreciate hearing from you and want you to keep on hearing from you.

Join us next weekend for Chapter Seven and Eight or come to wikiDeeks dot com this week on Tuesday and Thursday if you can't wait!


	7. Chapter 7

**__****wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, Imahistorian, and Phillydi.**

**Chapter 7**

**___by Jericho Steele_**

…

A steady throbbing behind his eyes began to pull Deeks from the darkness and it took a moment for him to remember exactly what had transpired before he ended up here, wherever ___here _was. His head felt like a drunken Polka band was coming to the end of a long set and his mouth felt like he had spent the past few hours chewing on a cotton pillow. Taking a moment to gather his wits, the detective ran through a check of his extremities and they all seemed somewhat intact. He could feel his legs and hands, but at the moment, he couldn't seem to move them.

As he slowly opened his eyes, a blinding light burned his corneas and he quickly closed them again. The brightness sent a rush of apprehension through him at the thought of spending all night in the desert, then the fear of how his team would react from his time out of communication. Callen would be furious and Kensi …

Crap, ___Kensi. _

When he was back in his room, he'd planned on calling her back to apologize for being too overprotective with her … again. Now, stuck out here for God-knows-how-long, he didn't think a simple "Sorry Sunshine, I was being an ass" was going to cut it this time. At least he had an excuse for his poor communication this time.

Easing his eyes open again, he found that the reason he couldn't move his arms was that they were currently zip-tied out beside him to the front end of a military grade Hummer's brush guard. He was in a semi-sitting position and his legs were numb from the crude posture, his toes stinging when he tried to wiggle them. When he raised his head slightly, he discovered that the bright light wasn't the morning sun as he had feared, but the headlights of another Hummer that was parked a few yards away, its headlights bearing directly down on him.

Deeks scanned the area around the vehicles and found that he was alone with two of the camouflaged men from the night before. They were backlit with the headlights but he could still tell that they were armed and with the tactical gear and weapons, each looked as if they just stepped away from a military patrol in Afghanistan. They were standing stone still at parade-rest positions, their features hidden in the darkness of their silhouettes. He couldn't see their eyes, but he knew that they were locked on him.

Attempting to clear his throat only made it burn more, but Deeks was determined to scope these guys out just a little. "I know I'm new around here, but if tying guys up to vehicles is how this outfit gets off … I think I need to reconsider my membership application."

Neither of the men gave any indication that they heard him. That only made him ramp it up another notch.

"I know men in uniform do funny things to some people, but you two are really going to have to work on your act, because I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling it, ya know?"

Nothing.

"I think I hear banjos … do you guys hear banjos?"

When they remained impassive, Deeks began to draw his own conclusions: either they were getting really ticked-off and were just biding their time before they came over and beat him to a pulp, or they were highly trained and disciplined … he wasn't sure which one was the worst option. As he debated which tactic to take next, the sound of an approaching vehicle caught his attention. When his guards snapped to rigid attention, Deeks began to wonder about what they had stumbled into.

As soon as the large, black SUV stopped just outside the light cast by the headlights, a handful of men piled out and slowly scanned the area. After a moment, one of them opened the back passenger door and even though he couldn't see the man who stepped out, just his posture and bearing spoke of someone with strong military experience. The new stranger stopped beside one of the Hummers for a few seconds, conferred with one of the other men, their voices low enough so Deeks was unable to hear anything.

Deeks was running through several colorful verbal greetings when the man stepped away from his escorts and walked directly over to stop in front of the bright headlights. With a slight nod of his head, the stranger dismissed the two guards who immediately spun around and resumed their posts a few steps away. When the stranger had turned his head, Deeks caught a glimpse of slightly graying hair and a firm jaw line but that was about all and it wasn't much.

"If you guys are the 'Welcoming Committee', your bosses really need to rethink their recruitment practices, because they suck." Deeks might be trussed up like a turkey, but he was still ___Deeks. _

When the older man in front of him spoke, it was with such power and charisma, the usually unflappable detective was rendered mute. "Mister Satterlee, I ___am_ the boss and I will be the judge of how effective our recruitment policies are."

"And just who the Hell are you anyway?" Deeks knew he was into something bigger than just some hick militia and that he needed to tread carefully, but he still had a cover to maintain. "I mean, first you kidnap me, then you knock me out and tie me to the front of this thing … I'll have all of your asses in a sling."

"Really? I don't think so, son." The man stayed completely cool.

"I know people. I have connections…"

A chuckle almost as cold as stone cut him off. "If you're referring to Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger, he doesn't seem to be one of your biggest fans."

Deeks had played a card that was immediately trumped.

"Or, perhaps, you're referring to that lovely Marine sergeant you've been spending so much time with."

That brought all of Deeks' snarky comebacks to a sudden halt.

"Ahh… everyone has pressure points. You just have to know where to press." The man took a few steps closer and Deeks felt as if the desert temperature dropped a few more degrees. "Now that I have your attention, you will listen and listen well, do you understand me son?"

It slipped out before he realized the words were in his thoughts. "Yes sir."

"Thank you. I have given you some slack because you are a civilian and are not used to military customs and courtesies, but my patience has limits … and consequences." Folding his arms behind his back, the man took on the air of someone about to address his troops before a big battle. "Now, let me introduce myself. I can't give you my name but I was once a General in the United States Marine Corps who was run out of the military I spent a lifetime serving."

Deeks nodded. "General, I had no idea … I meant no disrespect."

"Yes you did, Jimmy." The General chuckled and there was actually some humor in it. "We've checked you out and your record speaks of someone with a true disdain for authority, both civilian and military."

Thankful that Eric and Nell were the absolute best at what they did, Deeks settled into his Satterlee cover. "So, I guess I checked out okay, huh?"

"Son, if you hadn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation." The cold steel had returned.

Both Deeks and Jimmy swallowed the lump in their throat. "Point taken General, but if I may … why am I here?"

"Because my associates tell me that you may be able to grant us access to certain information and technology that has been, so far, denied to us." The General rolled his shoulders back, his posture becoming even more intimidating. "All you have to do to join up with us."

Too simple, and it only made Deeks more nervous. "___Join up? _You make it sound like I'm about to head off to boot camp and a really bad haircut."

If the comment irritated the General, he gave no sign. "You are as funny as your friends said you were … but yes, you will be joining something bigger than yourself."

Deeks hoped that they were finally going to talk about what that something was. "And what exactly am I joining?"

The General's sigh sounded sad and frustrated. "A new revolution my boy. A chance to take back our country and give it back to the people."

"I'm sorry but doesn't it already belong to the people? Democratic Republic, free elections, elected leaders … all that jazz?"

The General let out a soft laugh that sent chills running down the detective's spine. "You're kidding yourself son. This country hasn't belonged to the people in decades and I, for one, am sick of it."

Even though he couldn't see the other man's eyes, Deeks could feel the intensity of them in the darkness.

"Thousands of illegal immigrants cross our southern borders every day, bringing third-world diseases to our doorstep and draining our resources. Our government spies on its own citizens and complains when they don't follow blindly and give up all of their God-given rights without question. We have a justice department that picks and chooses which parts of the Constitution to uphold and which ones to ignore. We put a dictator in power in some backwater country and the minute he tries to let his own people run their country and be truly free, we turn on them and make them into enemies."

By the time the General was finished with his rant, he was almost growling in his rage. "No, my dear boy … the time has come for true patriots to rise up and throw off the yoke that has become too heavy to bear."

"That doesn't sound like patriotism to me … sounds more like Domestic Terrorism." Deeks knew he was pushing, but he needed more information to see what he and his team were up against.

"That's what they said about Washington … Jefferson … Madison … Hamilton … Franklin …" The General turned, gesturing to the other men in the shadows, who all snapped to attention. "If the War of Independence had failed, each one of them would have been executed, drawn and quartered, for insurrection against King George of England."

"But they prevailed against what at the time was the world's greatest superpower…" Even though the General was perverting what the Founding Fathers intended, Deeks could see that just his charisma and charm would be enough to bring a sizeable group under his sway. " … and America became the most powerful nation this world has ever seen. I will not sit idly by and watch a bunch of riffraff sell Her off piece by piece."

It took a moment for the man to bring his breathing and anger under control, and when he did, he spun slowly to face the bound detective once more. "So, what do you say son? You want to join us … join the next great American Revolution and throw off the people like Lt. Colonel Jaeger who only use their power and authority to torment the people under them. What do you say?"

Pressure point.

Check

The power in his words and the conviction in his heart sounded compelling to Jimmy Satterlee, and Deeks knew this was his way in. "I get what you're saying and what you're trying to do … but why me? I'm just a photographer, and the way things are going after today, I may not even be that."

"That's exactly why we need you … you aren't conspicuous, no one will notice you, you're not important. No offense." The General's tone changed instantly from intimidating military man to comforting grandfather. "You have access to Colonel Jaeger and where he'll be and can pass that information on to us."

"Lt. Colonel Jaeger? What's he got to do with this?"

"We've acquired some rather sophisticated military hardware over the past few weeks but some of them can only be used if you have the up-to-date encryption keys."

Deeks didn't like the direction the conversation had taken. "So, what has he got to do with that?"

"According to his dossier, before he was assigned to work under the Secretary of the Navy, Lt. Colonel Richard Jaeger was one of the top encryption specialists in the U.S. military."

Though it was part of the cover that Nell and Eric built for Callen, it had drawn the hunters in and now his team leader was the prey.

"We have his complete background … including home address, where his wife and two daughters live."

There was no wife and kids … but if captured, what would Callen have to endure before that fact was discovered. The thought made Deeks' skin crawl.

"Pressure points my boy … pressure points." The kindly grandfather disappeared and a cold, hard man stood in his place. "And if you think of breathing one word of this to anyone, we'll have to bring you and that spit-fire Sergeant Booker, Kacey I believe, back out here. I'm sure my men could come up with some very interesting ways to break her and motivate you to do exactly as … you're … told."

Pressure point.

Checkmate.

"Umm General … please, don't hurt her … I'll do whatever you want." It was Jimmy's personality that groveled before the General, but the emotion behind his plea was all Deeks. He blinked longer than was necessary, thinking about Kensi getting taken by these guys, and suddenly the General's voice was right beside his ear.

"You go back to your day job … keep screwing that little spit-fire that drives for him but know where the Colonel is going to be and when. We'll be in touch."

Deeks let out a breath he didn't know he was holding but he stayed in character. "That's it? I figured with such a secret club, you guys would have a secret handshake or something."

"Ah … well, I wouldn't want to disappoint our newest member. The vetting is over, but not the initiation." The General paused beside the Hummer. "I'm finished with you for now Mr. Satterlee … I didn't say anything about my men."

That's when Deeks noticed that the two guards from earlier were approaching from the side and they looked even more imposing up close.

"Gentlemen, give him a decent beating but nothing too serious, he's one of us now and he has some work to do." With one final nod to his security detail, the General turned and headed toward his vehicle. "Dump him so he's easily found. I wouldn't want his little girlfriend to worry."

…

To be continued…..

Stop by tomorrow for Chapter 8 by Phillydi. See you then...


	8. Chapter 8

**_A FanFic Relay in 10 chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, imahistorian, and Phillydi._**

**Chapter 8**

**_by Phillydi_**

…

"Sir? Are you awake? Can you hear me?"

Deeks was aware someone was talking to him, but he didn't move… not yet. The voice sounded like it was emanating from the end of a long tunnel. As his thoughts became lucid, his memories of the previous night raced down that tunnel and slammed into him all at once. He trembled in anger recalling how he didn't even get a chance to catch his breath as he was pummeled and kicked over and over again by the General's goons. He could sense someone was standing over him again shading him from the sun's warmth with his silhouette. Friend or foe, Deeks wasn't exactly sure, but he wasn't budging a muscle until he was.

A Marine detachment on maneuvers from Camp Pendleton paused on the beach in a semi-circle behind their platoon leader. The men gazed down at Deeks who continued to lie motionless in the wet sand. The ocean surf rushed up to the shoreline softly brushing the soles of his bare feet. The cool foam lapped up against his toes, finally rousing Deeks out of the last vestige of sleep that he had gratefully succumbed to after receiving that final blow to his face. One of the Marine recruits crouched down closer to give Deeks' shoulder a slight push and was startled as the stranger moaned back in return. Deeks rolled over on his back and pitched an arm across his face to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight. He tried squinting to bring the soldier into focus, but that only made the hammering in his head worse.

"Gunny, he's been beaten up pretty bad. This man needs a hospital." The young man gazed up at his team leader who had already pulled out a cell phone to call camp security and an ambulance. With the kind of injuries Deeks had sustained, it wasn't hard to see he was going to need serious medical attention.

"Man, who do you think he pissed off?" whispered one of the Marines to a man standing next to him in formation.

"I don't know," his friend leaned over and laughed. "I just hope she was worth it."

…

It had been a long night and Kensi hadn't slept a minute of it. Instead, she paced nervously back and forth across the already worn carpet in Deeks' room. She finally decided to disregard Deeks' wishes to stay away, and drove straight over to his hotel. She figured she'd call along the way to let him know she was coming and explain why she had no intention of letting him carry on this mission without her but he had failed to answer.

When Kensi arrived at his hotel door shortly before midnight she knocked twice and waited impatiently for a response. She was about to pick the lock when she realized the door was slightly ajar. Kensi's heart began to beat faster as she jumped to attention. She knew Deeks would never leave his door unlocked and the anomaly was enough to make Kensi stop and extract her weapon from behind her back. She forced the door open with her foot and surveyed the room using the barrel of her gun as a pointer. The room was empty; no one in the bathroom or closets either and Deeks' flip-flops were the only thing hiding beneath the bed.

"Damn it, Deeks!" Kensi called out. "Where are you?" What good was having a partner if she wasn't there to have his back?!

She continued to look around the dingy room praying that Deeks would materialize out of thin air. Kensi sat down dejectedly on the rim of the bed to consider her next move and immediately sprang back up again when she felt something hard and cold nudge her from beneath. Her hand reached blindly under the bunched up covers and pulled out Deeks' cell phone. No wonder he hadn't responded to any of her calls! Her phone number was displayed over and over again in a neat row on his home screen. If he didn't have time to take his phone, he most likely left abruptly or was even abducted. Either scenario made her heart catch in her throat. Was his disappearance connected to Pollard and his right-wing group? She had no recourse but to wait for Deeks to return and if there was no word by morning, then she would head out on her own reconnaissance mission in search of her partner.

Kensi sighed and looked down at her phone. She would have to let her team leader know that Deeks was missing and she dreaded calling Callen. He would want answers and she had none. But she refused to listen to another one of his tirades on why Deeks was screwing up the mission again. He could save the dramatics for later. Right now all she wanted was her partner back safe and sound. She took a deep breath and dialed.

…

"They found him, Kens," Sam said calmly into the phone. Kensi held her breath. She had just jumped into her vehicle at first light and was about to head out in search of Deeks when Sam called.

"Looks like he was beaten up pretty severely but he'll survive," he said. "Get into uniform and pick us up as soon as you can. We need to go directly to the hospital." For Kensi, it was the longest ride of her life. It would be impossible to relax until she could see for herself that Deeks was all right. And then she would kill him for going off without her!

The ER doctor was informed of Colonel Jaeger and his team's arrival and stepped out into the hospital waiting room to speak with the group. Callen impatiently clutched his cover and slapped it erratically against his thigh. As much as Deeks' presence in the group had been irritating to him these past few weeks, he was deeply concerned that Deeks could have turned up dead instead of badly injured. It was imperative that the plan succeed, but at what cost? Callen was responsible for Deeks' welfare by keeping him and the rest of the team out of harm's way. Callen slowly realized he had let his emotions compromise this mission. If he hadn't been so angry, they might have come up with a better plan without having to put Deeks' life in jeopardy. Right now, the detective was still one of their own and an integral member of their team. If Deeks had died he would have had no one to blame except himself and he knew it.

"Colonel, I'm Captain Wilson," the doctor held out his hand. "Your man is in stable condition, despite the beating he took. We may be able to release him later on but he was roughed up pretty badly." Callen had to sweep aside his feelings of guilt and switch back swiftly into his undercover persona.

He turned sharply to face Sam. "This idiot has been nothing but trouble since we hired him." He shook his head in disgust. "Find out what happened and get him back on the job," Callen succinctly snapped out each order. "We don't have time to find someone new to take his place. I want him to finish what he started and then I never want to see his face again. Do I make myself clear?"

Callen stormed out the waiting room door, leaving Sam and Kensi standing in his wake. As much as he would have liked to personally check on Deeks' condition, Callen had to maintain cover. At least he took comfort in knowing Deeks would live to see another day.

Sam swept open the curtains surrounding Deeks' bed while Kensi waited impatiently just outside the room. She stood at attention looking calm and self-assured but inside her emotions were erratic. She was anxiously waiting to hear Deeks' voice, but Sam spoke first.

"What the hell happened to _you_, Satterlee?" Sam asked gruffly, easily taking over where Callen had left off. "Looks like you just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

Deeks pulled himself up slowly off the mattress to face Sam directly. He grimaced tightly as his stomach muscles contracted in pain. He attempted to steady himself, but gave up and collapsed back down on the bed again.

Sam watched as Deeks struggled to regain his composure and cursed that he couldn't reach out to comfort his friend. It was obvious they had worked Deeks over pretty good. The detective didn't need to fake his agony or pain. The sweat was dripping down the side of Deeks' temples and the bruises on his face left his eyelids swollen and distended. But Sam had to protect his cover as well, and he didn't have the luxury to let down his guard.

"Nice to see you too, Major," Deeks replied in a hoarse whisper. "I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."

Deeks' condition wasn't going to stop the smart ass from making an appearance, it just made it easier. He felt wretched and wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. If someone was watching their undercover performance, he would give them a show they wouldn't soon forget. Deeks turned his head away from Sam.

"Look at me, Satterlee," Sam continued in his official capacity. "I don't care what you do in your personal life, but if you want to get yourself hooched up on beer and drugs, you do it on your own time." Sam sneered at Deeks. "You have a job to finish and we expect you back on the clock as soon as you are released. Do we understand one another?"

"Fuck you, Webber," Deeks closed his eyes as another wave of nausea violently gripped his upper abdomen. He leaned over and without ceremony threw up over the side of the bed, hitting the front of Webber's shoes. Sam looked down, pursed his lips and stepped back slowly to remove himself away from the contents of Deeks' stomach. You got to hand it to him, Sam thought. He couldn't have timed it any better if he tried.

"Ooops," Deeks smiled up at Sam, weakly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand while clutching his stomach with the other.

Sam had a feeling Deeks was enjoying himself despite the pain. He cursed loudly and called out for a nurse. He stormed out of the room and almost ran into Kensi.

"Make sure he's cleaned up and then transport him back to the job when he's released," he barked. "The son of a bitch threw up all over my shoes!" He walked away in a huff, leaving Kensi behind, biting her upper lip to hide her amusement.

She tugged the curtain aside as an orderly scrubbed up the mess on the floor and then gingerly stepped around to the other side of the bed. Deeks vision was still blurry, but he couldn't help but grin sheepishly as he found himself looking up into Kensi's face.

"You are in soooo much trouble," she said in a singsong voice. Kensi enjoyed playing Kacey. It gave her an excuse to be sexy and sassy at the same time. Not that she ever needed an excuse before.

"You shouldn't be here," he moaned.

"Don't worry. I'm legit. Jaeger ordered me to wait and drive you back to the job after your release." Kensi tried to smile back, but her heart was stilled as she surveyed Deeks' injuries. She longed to relieve his damaged body with cool, wet kisses and gather him in her arms to comfort him with her body. Instead she had to be content to wipe the sweat off his brow and hold his hand gently in hers.

"What happen to you, Jimmy?" Kensi tried to ask nonchalantly but she was finding it harder and harder to stay in character as she stood next to him.

"I ran into a couple of fists at the bar," he teased. "Nothing I couldn't handle. You should have been there."

"You don't say," Kensi chuckled sarcastically. She leaned down to brush a soft kiss over his bruised cheek and then bent down lower to whisper next to his ear. "If you ever go off without me again, you _will _wish you were dead next time."

Deeks snorted and then grimaced in pain. Even the simple act of laughter proved to be an act of extreme effort on his part. He reached up to guide Kensi down to his face again. She thought he was going to steal a brief kiss but instead he whispered back in her ear.

"I mean it, get out of here," Deeks' voice was serious this time and he looked around the triage room to see if they were being watched. "You don't want to get involved with me."

Deeks desperately hoped Kensi would comprehend the meaning behind his words. He had slowly pieced together all of the events from last night on the ambulance ride to the hospital. If Pollard and Colton were dead, the stakes were even more serious than he thought and these men weren't playing games. He also knew once Jimmy Satterlee's services were no longer needed he would follow in their footsteps. The General would be more than willing to remove everyone in their way, including his entire team if he didn't cooperate. The stakes were too high.

"Get out of here," Deeks said louder and looked intently into her eyes. "I'll find my own way back."

"If you think I'm getting on Jaeger's wrong side, you're crazier than I thought," she derided Deeks. "You know my ass will be in a sling, if I don't bring you back to your job. And that's not happening, buddy boy." Kensi stood with her hands on her hips. "Get some rest; I'll be right outside if you need me." She leaned down and gave him another quick kiss and left the room.

Deeks lowered his head back on the pillow wondering who would make the next move in this high stakes game. A nurse stopped by on her rounds to check his vitals and was about to turn to leave when she drew an envelope out of her pocket.

"Oh, someone dropped this off for you at the nurse's station," she said and handed him the paper.

Who would be sending him a message here? He ripped the back of the envelope off and pulled open the note.

_Remember we are watching you, Mr. Satterlee. I want to know where your employer will be tomorrow. I have a few questions for him. Once again, we will get back in touch with you. _

Deeks dropped the letter into his lap. The General wasn't wasting any time, was he? Deeks' plan had worked all too well. Now the rest of his team was in danger and he had to figure out a way to warn them before it was too late.

To be continued...

* * *

Stop by next weekend for the final two chapters of **War Games** and the Epilogue. If you can't wait that long to find out what happens next go to www dot wikideeks dot com on Tuesday for Chapter Nine by Imahistorian. All the authors would like to thank you for the great reviews and follows. We appreciate your support. If you would like to see us do this again next summer, let us know!


	9. Chapter 9

**_A FanFic Relay in 10 chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, imahistorian, and phillydi._**

**Chapter 9**

**___by imahistorian_**

**_…_**

Deeks grimaced as he pulled his shirt on, his fingers shaking a little as he buttoned the front. Tucking the shirt into his khaki pants seemed like too much effort after the pummeling he'd taken, so Deeks simply stood, buttoning his pants and turning to the mirror in the hospital bathroom to inspect the damage.

His face looked worse than it felt, the bulk of his pain reserved for the straining and tender muscles of his stomach. Deeks fingered the bruise around his eye, almost relishing the spike of pain that shot there since it distracted from the rest of his injuries. Deeks surveyed his clothes, noting the blood on his collar and the stiffness of his pants since they dried with salt water and sand soaking them.

The nurse from earlier returned, bearing his discharge papers and a disapproving frown. After Deeks had received the anonymous note, he realized he needed to get out of the hospital fast and he needed to bring the rest of the team up to speed on the mysterious General and his plans for Callen's undercover persona. And that meant getting out of the hospital against the doctor's orders.

"We can't force you to stay, Mr. Satterlee, but I'd wish you would reconsider and give yourself time to recover."

"No rest for the wicked," Deeks replied, a grin on his face that he didn't really feel. But it worked convincingly with Satterlee's flippant personality. And Deeks used that as a shield against the real worry that bubbled under the surface.

Signing the forms with a quick scrawl, the nurse took them from Deeks and departed, passing Kensi who entered the room, the same disapproving frown on her face as she looked Deeks up and down.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kensi asked.

"Back to my hotel. I need a change of clothes and my gear. And since you won't leave like I told you, looks like you're going to take me, sweetheart," Deeks replied, the lightness of his tone the opposite of the pointed look he gave Kensi, giving her one last chance to walk away like he hoped she would. And it really didn't surprise him when she shook her head, doing exactly what he wished she wouldn't.

"I'm not going to leave you," Kensi said, her soft voice bringing meaning beyond the simple statement. Deeks nodded wearily and cocked a shoulder towards the door, following Kensi as they exited the hospital and got into her car.

The ride to the hotel was quiet as Kensi's head occasionally turned in his direction, her lips pursed together in an effort to keep her questions and concerns contained. Deeks kept his eyes trained straight ahead, his head tumbling with questions about the next steps in the mission. The General clearly had plans for Jimmy Satterlee. How long term those plans were was what Deeks wondered. Forefront in his mind was the need to identify who the General was, and to figure out a plan for how Jimmy could pass along the intel about where Callen, as Colonel Jaeger, was going to be the next day.

Deeks could piece together the reasons for the message from the General based on what he'd heard the night before. The General intended to capture Colonel Jaeger and force him to give up the encryption keys he needed in order to operate the drones he'd acquired. For what ultimate purpose, Deeks didn't know. But the General's rantings about the destruction of the government left him with an uneasy feeling that the drone targets would be catastrophic and very close to home. Deeks didn't like the idea of using Callen as bait to get at the General, but that was starting to seem like the only option.

Pulling up in the hotel parking lot, Deeks mumbled to Kensi that he would be right back and he exited the car before she could work in a word. He hoped she wouldn't follow him, but deep down he knew it was a feeble hope. For reasons he didn't want to admit to, he left the hotel room door slightly ajar, hoping with equal measure that she would come through it after him and that she would stay in the car. His hopes were both dashed and lifted when he heard the door of the hotel open and close behind him.

Deeks tugged his shirt off, swallowing the hiss of pain between clenched teeth. And he managed to unbutton his pants, beginning to shove them off and bend over when his aching stomach muscles stopped him, beginning to seize in the hours after his ordeal.

Silently, Kensi came up behind him, her hands warm and soothing as they smoothed over his shoulders and she came around to face him, her palms resting lightly against his chest. Her hands slid down, her fingertips grazing his abdominal muscles as she reached for the buttons on his pants, slowly lowering the zipper. Kensi looked down, then up at him through her dark eyelashes, her lifted eyebrow a warning.

"Don't go getting any ideas into your head, Mr. Satterlee," Kensi murmured, her hands going to his hips to help push his pants down. Deeks couldn't help the grin on his face, the vision of Kensi kneeling down in front of him doing all sorts of good at making him forget about the pain still coursing through him. He closed his eyes as Kensi tapped his right leg, silently telling him to lift it, and then his left leg, as she removed his pants. The presence of her, the light touches, and her concern enveloped him, relaxed him, and made him think and wish for a second that there wasn't a mission or developing threat to national security requiring him to get dressed and face the problems head on.

Kensi shoved a pair of boxers at him, his elbows automatically bending to catch the soft fabric against his chest, and his eyes opening to find Kensi turning away, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"You get to do this part on your own," Kensi said, turning away to pick up his soiled clothes. Deeks shrugged, dropping his boxers without modesty, and even though it still strained his muscles, pulling the new pair on. Kensi turned around and he held his arms open wide.

"Good as new," Deeks proclaimed. Kensi smiled a little, then her eyes shifted to concern and filled with tears. Before Deeks could ask what was wrong, she'd fallen against him, burrowing into his open embrace. His arms went around her automatically, his hands smoothing against her hair, more than a little concerned for the sudden shift in her emotions.

"I came here and you'd just disappeared. After we hung up last night I felt bad enough how we left things. But then when you weren't here I felt like I let you down. Like I let my partner down. Don't do that to me again," Kensi said, her voice firm even as she whispered against his collarbone. Deeks sighed, realizing with surprise that his injuries had scared Kensi more than she'd let on. He pushed her back enough so that she could see the truth in his eyes.

"You know I didn't do any of that on purpose, right?" Deeks asked, wanting Kensi to hear the sincerity in his voice. "I had to think on my feet. I was going to come see you but then Pollard and Colton showed up. They wouldn't let me take the phone and I had to play along or risk blowing my cover. It wasn't my first choice, but I knew the mission had to take precedence." Deeks paused as Kensi continued to stare at him, worrying her lower lips between her teeth. "You know I'd always rather have you at my back. But not at the expense of keeping you safe."

"But who is going to keep you safe?" Kensi blurted out. Deeks ran a hand through his hair, turning away from Kensi to pull his jeans on, and then yanking a t-shirt on over his head. He couldn't deal with constraining khaki against his already sore body.

"We have to be able to handle this partners/personal relationship thing without it affecting our work decisions," Deeks said, more to himself than just to Kensi. Kensi's eyes flashed with irritation.

"I'm not talking about our personal relationship. That's our business and it's separate from work. But I'm still your partner. And I don't like you out there without backup," Kensi replied.

"Do you really think we can keep our personal relationship separate from us as partners?" Deeks asked, curious about Kensi's answer. Her quick nod, void of hesitation, was confident.

"I do. I have to. I trust you. And I trust that when it comes down to it, when there's a difficult choice to be made that you'll make the right choice. That I'll make the right choice," Kensi replied. Deeks could only nod, a niggling thought in the back of his mind still wondering if he ultimately knew what that right choice would be.

"Are you going to be okay to keep going on this assignment?" Kensi asked, her palm resting against his stomach and concern warming her dark eyes.

"I have to be. I don't want to give Callen any more ammunition to think I can't do my job," Deeks said, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice but knowing he only marginally succeeded.

"I don't know what's going on with him. Callen can be prickly, but even for him he's been extreme. Sam doesn't know what's going on either, which makes it even more strange," Kensi said. "He's a lone wolf, but this is more than that. He's being such—"

"A dick?" Deeks finished bluntly. At Kensi's frown, and her automatic impulse to defend their team leader, Deeks waved away her words. "I have a hard time believing he has a justifiable reason for how he's acted. Just because it doesn't go exactly according to G. Callen's master plan doesn't mean a mission is failing. Rolling with the punches is sometimes required."

Kensi looked at him fondly. "I think you kind of like it when things go slightly awry."

Deeks grinned. "Yeah, slightly awry is kind of my wheelhouse." His smile faded and he shook his head. "Most of the time, anyway. Things went a little more awry last night than I would have liked. And speaking of that, we need to get to Callen and Sam so I can fill them in. Can we get somewhere where it's safe for us to talk?"

Kensi nodded thoughtfully, pulling out her phone. "I think I have an idea about that."

Deeks gathered his camera equipment and after Kensi's short conversation with Sam, he and Kensi were on the road again. Kensi drove them onto Pendleton, weaving through the roads on the installation and to the coastal training grounds on the military base. Deeks nodded in appreciation at her choice, seeing up ahead that Callen and Sam had parked and were waiting on one of the sand dunes overlooking the beach.

"Nice. Colonel Jaeger would definitely want Jimmy Satterlee to get some photos of the coastal training areas," Deeks said. Following Kensi up the slight rise of the sand dune, Deeks breathed in the salty ocean air, the breeze tangling his hair. The wind would provide ample cover for anyone who might be trying to listen to them, something else that weighed on Deeks' mind.

"How are you feeling Deeks?" Sam asked, his eyebrows knitted with concern.

"Better. Nothing I can't handle," Deeks replied. Sam didn't look entirely convinced, but he didn't press Deeks further.

"So, what went down last night? Why did you drop off the face of the planet without a word from anyone, breaking protocol?" Callen asked briskly. Refusing to rise to the bait, Deeks merely focused his gaze on Callen, giving the debrief to the team, but wanting Callen to hear the events as dry, irrefutable facts.

"Pollard and Colton showed up at my hotel, unannounced. They barely let me get dressed before they told me I was going to meet the man they report to. I wasn't allowed to take my phone and unless I called the whole thing off right then, blowing our entire mission, I had to go along," Deeks said. "We drove more than an hour. I don't know where. The last part of the drive I was blindfolded and cuffed. Partway through the drive I started to think it might go sideways. I tried to get them to take me back but they wouldn't. Turns out my hesitation worked into my cover. If I'd been too anxious to meet their leader I might not have sold it well enough."

"So you met their leader. Who is he?" Callen asked.

Deeks shook his head. "No idea. He was careful to hide his identity. Middle-aged, gray hair, strong jaw. Former career Marine Corps General and dishonorably discharged, most likely."

"Well, that narrows it down to probably dozens of men," Callen grumbled. Deeks felt his irritation rise.

"I'm sorry if while I was handcuffed, with lights shining in my eyes, and after seeing Pollard and Colton face down in the dirt and possibly dead that I wasn't able to identify the man who was doing his damnedest to make sure I didn't know who he was."

Callen stilled, a light of surprise in his blue eyes. "Colton and Pollard are dead?"

"I don't know. It didn't look good for them," Deeks said. Callen nodded slowly, his face relaxing.

"You're right, Deeks. You did what you could. What did this General want? What's your assessment of the man?" Callen asked. Knowing it was likely the closest to an apology he was going to get, and surprised that Callen wanted to know his opinion, Deeks continued.

"This is way more than an arms smuggling ring. It's a militia group, but a militia group with bigger aspirations than hiding out in the hills and causing a little interference-with-the-government mischief. They have a radical, right wing political agenda and they're willing to go to extremes to make their vision a reality. And those extremes include going after Colonel Jaeger," Deeks said, weighing his words with the seriousness instilled after his treatment by the General's men and the note he'd received in the hospital. Deeks finished by showing the team the note, and explaining his theory that the General wanted to capture Colonel Jaeger in order to force him to turn over the encryption key.

The team was silent for several minutes after Deeks finished speaking. Kensi looked slightly stunned, the description of his ordeal shaking her. Sam looked at Callen, clearly worried at the prospect of his partner used as bait. Callen nodded coolly, pulling out his phone. He dialed and held the phone out, activating the speaker function.

_"____Go for Eric."_

"Eric, we need you to compile a list of all former career Marine Corps generals, male, beginning at age forty, dishonorably discharged," Callen recited.

_"____Am I limiting this to any specific geographic area?"_

"Nope, give us everyone who fits that description. And put Hetty on," Callen replied.

_"____Roger that. Hold for Hetty."_

The phone line clicked onto hold for several seconds until Hetty's strong voice came over the line.

_"____Mr. Callen. I hear Mr. Deeks got into a spot of trouble. Is he alright?"_

Not wanting Callen to answer for him, Deeks was quick to interject. "I'm fine Hetty. No worse for wear."

Kensi looked at Deeks incredulously at his obvious lie but didn't say a word.

_"____I assume your whole team is in attendance? That's good. Assistant Director Granger is here with me as well."_

Sam's raised eyebrow and Callen's almost non-reaction told Deeks that Granger's presence was unexpected by the former, and not at all a surprise by the latter. And Hetty's pointed effort to make them aware that Granger was listening left Deeks feeling once again on edge.

Callen briefed Hetty and Granger on Deeks' intel from the night before, uninterrupted until the very end when Granger broke in.

_"____How solid is this intel, Agent Callen?"_

Deeks shook his head angrily at Granger's blatant disrespect of anything Deeks touched, he leaned down and muttered an aside to Kensi. "Geez, I'm right here."

Expecting Callen to express doubts in the intelligence Deeks had collected, Deeks waited for the other shoe to drop.

"I believe it's solid and actionable. Deeks did a good job gathering this information," Callen replied, his voice firm. "This group sounds like they are homegrown terrorists with the intent to overthrow the government or at least disrupt it. And they're willing to use the stolen weapons and kidnap a Colonel to do that. And I think we need to give them to chance to prove it, and try and catch them in the act."

_"____Are you suggesting we allow you to be used as bait?" _

At Hetty's question, Callen smiled. "I think it would be the fastest way to get at these guys. Once they contact Deeks and find out where I'm supposed to be tomorrow we can control the kidnapping of Colonel Jaeger. And I can wear a wire, and GPS tracker so we can record what we need to prosecute the General and his men, and we'll have a team on standby to come to the rescue."

_"____I want these men caught, Agent Callen. And I want to know how high up this goes and who it involves. At any cost."_

Granger's words were finite and chaffed at Deeks. There was no thought to Callen's safety or acceptance of the millions of things that could go wrong during a mission. Granger's tunnel vision turned Deeks' stomach. As much as he and Callen might have butted heads recently, he didn't like the possibility that Callen might be dangled as bait.

_"____Very well. We will continue to work here to try and identify the General in charge of the militia group. Mr. Deeks will wait to hear from them and then we will arrange the opportunity for Colonel Jaeger to be kidnapped."_

After affirmation from Callen, he hung up the phone, slipping it into his back pocket. Still stunned at what had transpired, Deeks stared at Callen. Shaking his head, he finally couldn't keep the words in any longer.

"What the hell, man?"

Callen raised his head to look at Deeks, not showing any surprise at his outburst. Not getting a response from Callen, Deeks continued. "You ride my ass this whole mission, accuse me and Kensi of being unprofessional at every turn, barely show an ounce of concern when I get beaten to unconsciousness, but then when the chips are down you defend me to Granger. Are you seriously this unpredictable or are you having hot flashes?"

"Deeks—"

Deeks cut off Sam's warning. "No way, I want an answer. I can put up with a lot of shit. But I've put myself on the line for this team countless times. I've gone around the world—illegally I might add—to defend members of this team because that's what partners and teams do. And I'm done being treated like the temp who just showed up for the day. I've earned the right of respect and the right to know the truth. What's going on?"

Callen studied Deeks, his silence convincing Deeks that there was more to Callen's treatment than his biases about his professionalism or his feeling that Deeks wasn't the cookie cutter NCIS agent.

"Before this mission Granger pulled me aside," Callen finally said, the evenness of his voice carefully controlled. "He knows you and Kensi are involved as more than partners. And he's convinced you can't maintain your personal relationship and remain partners. He told me he's watching this mission and depending on the outcome he'll make an assessment of your ability to remain at NCIS."

"Whose ability? Deeks'?" Kensi asked, alarm raising her voice. Callen glanced from Kensi to Deeks.

"Both of you. Unless he's convinced, he's going to send Deeks back to LAPD and Kensi will be reassigned to another NCIS position. Far away from Los Angeles."

"And you didn't think this was important information to share with all of us?" Sam asked angrily, his irritation clearly deeper since Callen was his partner. "Is that why you were pissed when Kensi and Deeks went off book to the bar the other night?"

Callen swiveled his gaze to his partner, his blue eyes steely and rigid. "This mission has to go by the book. Any deviation and Granger will use that as ammunition." Callen returned his gaze to Deeks. "I don't want to see Kensi's professional career damaged because of a personal indiscretion."

Deeks laughed hollowly. "So that's what you think I am, Callen? A 'personal indiscretion'?"

"That's not what he meant," Kensi said quietly.

"I think that's exactly what he meant, Kensi. He's boiled down our relationship, something that is nobody's business but ours, to two extremely loaded words," Deeks said, anger turning his voice harsh.

"If it was anyone else you're right, it wouldn't be anybody else's business," Callen replied hotly. "But it's not. It's the two of you, and you're partners. Your judgment during a crisis and in the heat of a mission may be compromised by what you feel. And I don't want to see anything happen to either of you or to my team. We're all responsible for each other, but I'm doubly responsible for each of you."

Deeks felt his anger deflate a little as Callen's words hit home. Despite his methods of taking his concerns out on Deeks, Deeks knew Callen's motivations had been in the right place. In his own way he'd been trying to protect them.

But looking from Callen to Sam, and then turning his gaze to Kensi and lingering on her, Deeks felt his stomach turn with uncertainty. Not only were they in the middle of a difficult mission that was already risky, but now they had to worry that Granger was watching. And that the outcome of the mission and their success as a team might very well determine if Deeks would lose the most important person in his life. And that he could lose the promise of Kensi before they'd even had a chance to figure out what that promise held.

to be continued...

Come by tomorrow for Chapter 10! All our writers would like to thank you for your readership and reviews!


	10. Chapter 10

**_A FanFic Relay in 10 chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, imahistorian, and Phillydi._**

**Chapter 10**

**___by Sweet Lu_**

...

Deeks was pissed, the tension within the team causing his head to pound even harder than it had been before he found out just how critical this mission was. Granger's decision to split them up if it failed had tied his stomach in knots and he felt the pressure mounting for all of them. There was no room for mistakes, either for the team or for the country. One misspoken word and Callen could be killed. One misstep and a maniac would unleash a firestorm on the country. One bad decision made in the midst of it all and he and Kensi would be sent away from each other as if they were delinquent children needing to be taught a lesson. Damn right he was pissed.

He had stopped listening to the conversation going on around him, staring out at the relentless surf, feeling every kick and punch he'd absorbed the night before. He couldn't bear to look at Kensi, afraid to see the concern he knew would be there, afraid for her to see the turmoil in his own blue eyes. He could feel Sam watching him, so he walked down the slight incline of the dune until he was standing at the dying end of the waves running up the beach, hoping for some sense of calm. He heard someone approach, but had no energy to turn around to see who it was, waiting instead until whoever it was said what they needed to say.

"Deeks," Callen's tone was hesitant, his name almost blown away by the wind. "Tell me how you are. The truth this time, not that bravado crap you pulled on Hetty."

"You think she believed me?" He asked with a crooked grin that faded quickly.

"Probably not, and neither did I," Callen said, stepping up along side of him. "You should be in the hospital. You look like shit, and I'm guessing you feel like it too."

"I could have held my own if the bastards hadn't tied me up," he said defensively.

"And if you hadn't been outnumbered," Callen added with a smirk.

"Or playing the part of a weak, disgruntled photographer," Deeks said, his anger finally showing.

"Yeah, there's that," Callen said. "Deeks you know you can't be with us when we plan the details on this thing. It won't look right. It'll be too dangerous for you. This general and whoever his men are will be watching you closely. We're even pushing our luck right now."

"Yeah, I know," Deeks said, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"If things go sideways on this, Hetty will fight to keep you both. You know that don't you?" Callen's soft voice caught Deeks' attention.

"You sound like you don't think you'll make it out of this," Deeks turned to stare at him.

"It's a possibility. We both know that," he answered. "Pollard and Colton are proof of that."

"We don't know that they're dead," Deeks said quickly, his stomach clinching, adding to the persistent pain.

"We know this guy's a megalomaniac with a penchant for violence," Callen said. "Having you beaten proves that, not to mention his possible plans for all those weapons and explosives he has stockpiled."

"We can think of another way," Deeks reasoned.

"And here I thought you didn't care," Callen said with a smile that he covered with his hand. "Or don't you think I can handle myself?"

"Well, you are getting kind of old," Deeks sniped.

"Sam and Kensi will back me up," Callen said solemnly, ignoring the potshot. "And a full tactical squad will be close by."

"He's going to torture you for the information," Deeks said, choking on the word that he still had trouble saying out loud.

"And I'll have to take it until he gives up who else is in on his plans," Callen told him, his eyes steady and calm as he stared at him. "I have done this before you know."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't have to like it," Deeks responded.

"So we're good now?" Callen asked. "I wanted to tell you Granger's plan sooner, but there was no suitable time. He's been looking for an excuse to do this for a while."

"Sorry my 'personal indiscretion' put you in the middle," Deeks said with a hint of aggravation, still unwilling to let that comment go.

"Still pissed about that one, I see. Look Deeks, you're both part of my team," Callen said firmly. "I don't want to lose either one of you. Is that clear enough for you? Besides, you know how Sam feels about the team. He's probably trying to figure out a way to take Granger out of the game right now, plus he has a soft spot for you and Kensi."

"Seriously?"

"What can I say? He's a matchmaker at heart," Callen said. "I should know."

The two men nodded at each other, the air now clear between them. Callen climbed back up the dune to confer with Sam, while Kensi walked down toward the car, Deeks moving slowly to join her. He didn't like what he was feeling, that distance he had to maintain for the mission, that separation from the team that would only add to his growing fear for each one of them, but especially for Kensi. He knew deep down that she would be in the middle of it, exposed as Callen would be and he tried to tamp down the anxiety that knowledge was causing. He would be relegated to the sidelines after the general contacted him for the intel on Callen's whereabouts, far away from the action, far away from Kensi, unable to do anything, unable to even watch it all go down.

"You okay?" Kensi asked, drawing him out of his troubling thoughts.

"You're going to be his driver, aren't you?" Deeks was intense and she smiled gently at him, reaching out to touch him.

"I'll be fine," she said as he knew she would.

"Don't promise me something you can't control," he snapped and hurriedly got in the car, knowing he was close to losing it and making Granger's day.

They were silent on the drive back, his mind drifting as he tried to find a comfortable position, with flashes of his night in the desert making a quick nap impossible. The thought of Kensi in the hands of those violent men made him glance over at her, her strong jawline and slender neck drawing him in, her beauty so elegant, belying her toughness.

"We've got a tail," she said.

"Shit," he spit out. "This day just gets better and better."

"They know we have a 'thing' going," she said, flashing a smile.

"Really? Did you just make a joke about this?"

"You're just jealous because you didn't think of it," she said jauntily.

"You're amazing," he laughed. "This doesn't bother you?"

"It's what we do. Right?"

"Right."

...

Deeks was hurting, but unwilling to take his pain meds even after giving Callen's location over the phone to the man who had called. He continually paced the dingy hotel room, back and forth, again and again like a caged animal. Kensi had sent him a long text earlier with minimal details, but he knew the kidnapping was happening any minute now and he knew Kensi was with Callen. He hated the empty feel of waiting, the inability to have her back, the knowledge that she was at the mercy of brutal men, and that she was expendable. That pain was the hardest to bear.

When his phone rang, he nearly jumped out of his skin, aggravating his cracked ribs, collapsing into the lone chair as he answered, almost breathless with anticipation and growing fear.

"Mr. Deeks, they have them both," Hetty's voice was calm, but with a slight tremor that had him gripping the phone tightly. "Sam assured me she is okay."

"Thank you, Hetty," he barely choked out. "Is Granger with you?"

"No. The Assistant Director is at Pendleton awaiting word on the take down," she told him. "He is monitoring the situation closely. I believe he's quite concerned now that SecNav is involved."

"SecNav?" Deeks was stunned.

"Apparently he might know which general we are dealing with," she said. "And he is quite anxious to see him brought down."

"Who is the sonofabitch?"

"We don't have confirmation on that just yet, Mr. Deeks," she answered. "Mr. Callen will have to provide that."

"You mean after they torture him," he said through clinched teeth.

"We won't let it go on too long, Mr. Deeks," she said softly. "Sam won't let either one of them be hurt too badly."

"Bullshit," he growled. "You have a short memory, Hetty."

"No, Mr. Deeks. You are very wrong about that," her voice betrayed strong emotions, and he backed off commenting any further. "Now keep it together and have a little faith in your team."

He abruptly ended the call, cutting her off before he said something he would regret. He dropped the phone on the side table as the door to his room burst open.

"Jesse? Where the hell have you been?" Deeks practically shouted. "I thought you were dead, man."

"You have to come with me, Jimmy," Pollard pleaded. "He wants you there."

"That wasn't part of the deal," Deeks said, playing his part, but secretly wanting nothing more than to be taken to where they were holding Kensi and Callen.

"Please, man," Pollard choked out. "He shot Colton right in front of me. He's crazy, man. If you don't come with me he'll have us both killed."

Two of the general's men stepped into the room in unison, one smiling as he shoved Pollard into the arms of his partner.

"Long time no see, Jimmy," the man said as he grabbed his arm. "Need a refresher course, you little chicken shit, or will you just do as you're told?"

A solid forearm to his ribs had Deeks collapsing against the man, gasping at the bright pain, but nodding his agreement as the man laughed and pushed him out the door. Pollard kept glancing back at him as they headed along the walkway to the waiting black SUV, and Deeks groaned at the rough treatment they were both receiving, almost certain they were as expendable as Kensi and eventually Callen. The General wanted no loose ends, which was exactly what they all were. He let his mind settle on Sam as he climbed into the back seat, recalling the strength of the man and his dedication to the team. He was the one on overwatch this time, and Deeks was comforted by that knowledge, knowing Sam would do whatever it took to get them all home safely. If everything went according to plan, that is. And if it didn't, at least he would be with Kensi. This time he wouldn't play the part as scripted for his character. This time he would reveal himself and just how pissed he really was.

...

He stared out at the passing desert, tired of the sound of Pollard's voice, as he tried to convince the two dumb shits in the front seat that he was proud to serve the general. He hated the desert, but wasn't surprised it's where the man had taken his hostages. Isolation served his purpose and he tensed as a collection of low, bleak looking metal buildings came into sight as they passed over a small rise. It looked to be an old airstrip and he quickly surveyed the terrain and out buildings, noting the sleek private jet on the tarmac as he silently counted the number of men dressed in desert camo fatigues. They all looked to be ex-military, all heavily armed and wearing sunglasses, something he wished he had as he squinted in the bleached light, looking for any sign of Sam and the tactical squad he prayed was there. By the time they parked he had counted close to twenty-five militiamen, and those were only the ones he could see. He'd had no time to let Ops know he'd been taken, but if Sam was watching he would let them know he was now in play.

Jerked roughly out of the car, he stumbled as they pushed him inside a pale yellow corrugated building, murky inside and stifling hot. He heard Callen scream and he stopped, dropping his head down as he tried to control his sudden rage.

"Scared, Jimmy? Gonna pee your pants?" The asshole behind him asked. "Can't figure out what that hot little whore sees in you."

He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to hold in a response Max Gentry would have been proud of, but that would give the game away, and he needed to win this war. He would deal with this smug bastard when this was finished. Another low, drawn out scream sent a cold shiver through his gut and he held his breath until it stopped.

"Is that Colonel Jaeger?" He asked in a tiny voice, masking his anger with whatever remnant of Jimmy Satterlee he could call up.

"Yeah. He's hangin' tough and the general ain't real happy," the militiaman said.

"Where's Kacey?" He had to know, his patience thin and his control growing ragged.

"She's a fighter, that one," the two men laughing along with Pollard, who looked scared to death.

"Please tell me you didn't hurt her?" Deeks not feeling that different from Jimmy as he asked.

"She earned a couple of bruises, but we ain't done yet," the man said as he took his arm. "Go on in and say hello."

He realized they had no fear of him at all, not warning him or tying his hands, taking it as gospel that he wouldn't try anything and that gave him hope and an advantage. The militiaman halted him in front of a locked door next to a side table holding weapons and a very familiar knife and he quickly looked for the second guard, pleased when he saw him pushing Pollard through an adjacent doorway where the sounds of Callen's screams had echoed. While his guard struggled with the lock, Deeks quickly slipped Kensi's knife off the table and into his pocket, hiding a smile as he was let into the small room.

"Told you he worked for us, Babe," the man crowed.

"You rotten little shit," Kensi screamed at him, struggling against the ropes that tied her hands behind the chair. "You gave us up to these bastards? You're a traitor."

"We had fun, but I have to look out for number one, sweetheart," he said quietly, moving closer, taking in the blood on her lip and the dark bruise forming on her cheek. "I'm sorry they hurt you."

"You're a liar," she said, the venom in her voice making the militiaman laugh.

The guard turned his back as Callen screamed again, and Deeks slipped her father's knife into Kensi's hands, kissing her quickly on the forehead, their eyes locked on each other until the guard pulled him away.

"Come on lover. General Walker is waiting," the man ordered, revealing the name they had all been seeking.

The putrid smell of blood and sweat hit him as they entered, ugly and foul in the suffocating heat of the dim space. There were several humvees parked inside and when they passed them he saw Callen slumped in a chair and Deeks was hit with a wave of nausea as he took in the multiple cuts on his biceps and thighs, the blood soaking the fabric of his fatigues. His face was badly bruised, but his swollen eyes widened when he saw him. The general was looming over him as a broad-chested man in camo pants and a khaki tee shirt calmly wiped blood off a vicious looking black knife.

"So it was you," Callen croaked out weakly. "I should have known."

"It takes all kind of men to set things right, Colonel Jaeger," the general said pompously. "Even weak men like your photographer here. They have their uses just as you have yours. Now give me those encryption codes or I will have Reeves here start cutting up your pretty little driver."

"Jaeger tell him," Jimmy Satterlee pleaded. "Please."

"No way. He's full of hot air," Jaeger said, spitting blood out at the general's feet. "You missed his little speech about taking over the country, but maybe you already heard that. He claims to be doing it for the good of the people, but that's glorified bullshit. He doesn't have the backing to do it. He's all by himself with his tacky little army. Like they say in Texas, all hat and no cattle."

The general backhanded him across the mouth, but he smiled brazenly back at him, amazing Deeks with his courage and determination.

"You think I'm alone in this? I have followers in the highest echelons of the government, including the DOD, the Senate and one right under the nose of SecNav," General Walker gloated. "Once I have those codes, a revolution will begin that will remind people of how this country was founded and what it could be again."

"Who the hell would these people be?" Callen taunted. "You aren't naming names, because you're a fraud and an arrogant wannabe. You're nothing but a lying sack of shit."

The general's face turned a dark shade of red as he began to hit Callen every time he recited a name. The list was a long one and Deeks was finding it hard to breathe, hoping he would stop before he killed Callen. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep from charging the general, his fists pressing hard against his legs and his eyes closed against the vicious assault.

"Stop it!" He finally shouted. "Stop, General Walker. Please. You're killing him."

Deeks prayed he was close enough for the comms to pick up what he'd said, needing the rescue to start before it was too late. What the hell else did Granger need?

"What did you say to me?" Walker roared. "Who do you think you're talking to, boy? You said you hated this man. You can follow him to hell or you can follow me to glory. Didn't that beating you took convince you I'm not a man to be fooled with?"

Deeks took a step back as the general picked up a pistol from a metal desk and strode toward him, his jaw clinched in rage. Pollard had been standing silently throughout the whole ordeal, but now turned toward Deeks, the concern in his eyes surprising him. The shattering report of the fired pistol shocked him as blood exploded from the side of Pollard's head, the force of the bullet lifting him off his feet.

"Bring the woman," Walker ordered. "I want those codes."

The guard hurried back to get Kensi and Deeks waited, not sure when the General was going to kill him, but knowing that he would if Kensi didn't come soon. The sudden sound of automatic weapons fire outside made him jump and then smile at the look of bafflement on the general's face. Deeks felt a wave of relief and took immediate advantage of the distraction, wrapping the remaining guard in a solid chokehold. General Walker raised his pistol as the guard went limp in Deeks' arms, firing into the man's chest taking both of them to the floor.

"Federal agent. Drop the gun," Kensi shouted as she moved purposefully into the room, her gun trained on the general.

"What the hell?"

"Your little revolution is over Walker," Deeks said as he regained his feet.

"You think you and your little girlfriend can take me and Reeves?" The general laughed. "Hell fire, son. You're just a damn photographer."

"Wrong again. Marty Deeks. LAPD."

A filthy, strangled curse erupted from the enraged man and he fired wildly at Deeks, one bullet clipping his arm, before Kensi fired a round into the general's kneecap, leaving him screaming in agony on the floor, his gun skittering away. Deeks scooped up the weapon, moving toward Callen as five militiamen seeking cover from the attack outside breached the room. A couple of them began shooting at Kensi, who ducked behind one of the humvees as they both returned fire. Deeks turned just as Reeves attacked, parrying the black knife and pressing the muzzle of the general's gun into the man's stomach, firing multiple times until he collapsed. Callen moaned behind him, and he hurried to release him, tearing the bindings from his arms, lifting him with a shoulder and dragging him toward cover.

"I got you brother," he whispered as bullets peppered the side of the humvee.

"Did you get him?" Callen asked wearily.

"Kensi blew out his knee."

"And the asshole with the knife?"

"You know that old cliché," Deeks laughed. "Never bring a knife to a gunfight."

As Callen slowly slumped in his arms, the gunfire suddenly stopped.

"Kensi?"

"I'm good."

"Deeks?" Sam's voice boomed out. "Where's Callen?"

"With me."

Deeks got a shoulder under Callen's arm and lifted him to his feet, the two men staggering out into the open, as their partners rushed to their side. Sam's face went from concern to raw anger as he saw how badly Callen was hurt, pulling his partner's head against his shoulder, hugging him silently before slinging his arm over his shoulder to take some of his weight off Deeks.

"We got what we needed," Granger's officious voice cut through the breathless air as he sauntered inside.

The team said nothing as they moved stoically toward the sound of the helicopters landing outside. Callen made them stop when they reached the assistant director.

"If you try and split up Kensi and Deeks, I will personally meet with SecNav and tell him exactly what these two did to bring down this maniac," he said firmly, his eyes fierce as he stared the man down. "This is my team, Granger. Leave it the hell alone."

"You'll get no argument from me, Agent Callen," he conceded. "Hetty's already made her position quite clear and your team impressed the hell out of SecNav."

"Seriously?" Deeks asked with a widening grin. "Think Hetty will give me back my motorcycle?"

"Don't push your luck, detective," Granger growled.

"Already did that today, Granger," Deeks said as his grin faded. "We all did."

...

To be continued…..

Come back tomorrow for the Epilogue and the finale of War Games!


	11. Chapter 11

**_A FanFic Relay in 10 chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, imahistorian, and Phillydi._**

**Epilogue**

**by Sweet Lu**

...

He was staring down at Callen as he slept when he felt Sam's presence behind him, letting out a ragged breath when the man's large hands settled firmly on his shoulders. They anchored him and he trembled slightly as he tried to find himself and banish some of the anger and frustration still coursing through him. Remnants of Jimmy Satterlee still clung to him, and he broke away from Sam and walked to the window to search for whatever he could find that would bring him some feeling of finality to the mission and some sense of his true self.

"You need to punch something or someone?" Sam asked, his voice deep with understanding.

"Myself maybe," he answered.

"It's over, Deeks," he said. "Let it go."

"I can't let it go Sam," He spit out angrily. "I had to watch. I had to leave Kensi tied to a chair. I had to watch that crazy sonofabitch beat Callen after he'd already tortured him...and..."

He couldn't say any more, choking on the frustration that still filled him. Sam wrapped an arm around his shoulder and guided him out of Callen's hospital room, forcing him to sit down in a chair in the eerily empty hallway.

"The doctor said he's gonna be fine, Deeks," Sam said. "I'm not sure he would have been if you hadn't been there."

"We got lucky, didn't we?" He finally said.

"Yeah, we did," Sam replied as he sat down next to him and blew out his breath. "It's not easy seeing your partner in harm's way. It's what they both went through when Sidorov took us. I thought G was going to trash his quarters when he was told you'd been beaten and dumped on the beach."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Deeks. Really," Sam said earnestly. "He was as frustrated as you are right now when the doctor told him you'd been beat all to hell. He couldn't even ask how you were. He couldn't show how concerned he was, Deeks. He had to maintain his cover, and it wasn't easy for him. Just like it wasn't easy for me to yell at you in that hospital bed or watch that maniac take him and Kensi or for you at the end of this op. It's what we do. We all did what needed to be done to stop a terrorist."

"I'd probably be dead if Kensi hadn't gotten there when she had," he said softly. "She was amazing."

"Then why are you still sitting here with me, man?" He laughed. "She should be done with her debrief by now, and I know she's worried about you."

"Are we really good?" He asked tentatively. "Granger will let us stay with the team and continue being partners?"

"Hell yeah. He's already trying to take credit for the success of the whole mission," Sam said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"The man's a born politician," Sam said with irritation.

"Deeks?"

"Hey Kens," he answered, standing quickly as she walked into the hospital corridor. "You okay?"

"You two get out of here," Sam said with a spreading grin. "That's an order."

"Yessir Major, sir," Deeks said with a mock salute.

Sam returned his salute and walked back into Callen's room leaving them alone in the semi-dark hallway. They moved toward each other slowly, reaching out, each needing to hold the other, needing to know they were both okay. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, feeling the tension in her body, his hands gently holding her head close to his chest until he felt her muscles relax as she melted into him.

"I thought he'd killed you," she whispered through gathering tears. "I heard the shot and my mind went numb."

"He shot Pollard in the head," he said. "If you hadn't come, he would have shot me too."

"I was shaking, Deeks," she said as the tears spilled. "I was so shocked to see you alive and so angry that my hand started shaking. That's not like me, Deeks."

"Still, that was a pretty good shot to the kneecap," he said as he leaned back to look at her, reaching up to tenderly touch the darkening bruise on her cheekbone.

"He shot you, Deeks," she said, choking a little on her tears as she ran a hand lightly up to the bandaged wound on his arm. "This is going to be hard, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it will be, Kens, but we'll make it work. And the rewards will make it worthwhile," he said as he kissed her gently. "I'm good, Kens. The team is good and you...well, you Fern...are still amazing and still incredibly beautiful."

"I'm a mess," she responded shyly. "Granger wouldn't even let me change before the debrief."

"The insensitive lout," he declared slowly with a crooked grin. "Listen, Kens. I still have my hotel room for the night. The bathroom is decent and I could help you get out of your uniform before you shower."

"Before ___we_ shower," she whispered with a seductive smile, pulling him closer as her lips brushed his, lingering there with a hint of more.

"Together? Is that a proposition Agent Blye?"

"That's one of your rewards, partner."

"I'm liking this arrangement," he said with a smirk. "Does the same rule apply if I stub my toe?"

"What?"

"Do I get to shower with you every time I get hurt?"

"I hardly think a stubbed toe is in the same category as getting shot, Deeks," she said, starting to laugh a little.

"There are categories? What are these categories?" He asked as he stepped back with a quizzical look on his face. "Should we make a chart?"

"You're getting very organized all of a sudden," she said. "First you have a list of fantasies and now a rewards chart. This isn't like you."

"I just think making the chart might be fun," he reasoned. "We could try out various rewards to see which fits which category."

"What's my reward for putting up with my insane partner?"

"We can make two charts," he decided as he wrapped an arm around her waist as they headed down the hall. "One for you and one for me."

"You can really be an idiot sometimes," she said.

"What reward do you want for putting up with that fact?" He asked as he smiled goofily at her.

"A beer."

"That's it?"

"I might be able to think of something a little more intimate," she replied as her hand moved up under his tee shirt and caressed his back.

"That sounds promising, Fern. We can talk about the endless possibilities while we have a beer."

"After our shower."

"Of course."

...

...

The End

Thanks for reading!


End file.
